On a Whim
by tymarie20
Summary: Elsie is the head of marketing at Crawley Enterprises, Inc. Traveling often for work and after an extremely busy day, she finds herself at the hotel bar. Uninterested in a relationship at this point in her life, she plans on a glass of wine only, but a handsome stranger grabs her attention. Will this moment be a one time meeting, or will their paths cross again?
1. Chapter 1

_**I have not abandoned The Laws of Love. I have been working on it, I promise, I'm just not happy with how it is coming along, so I decided to take a short break from it and get my Chelsie out in another way. I wanted to spend time with these goofballs, but I need to reorganize my planning for TLOL and then dive back into that one. This is just me indulging my need for Chelsie. Let me know what you think and if it is worth continuing. Hope everyone is well!**_

She sat down with a huff and placed her bag on the chair next to her. It had been a long day. Too long, really. The extra sessions she had to attend as a result of her colleague's absence added almost three hours to her already-packed schedule, but it was necessary for the business that someone be in attendance, and since she was the only someone there from Grantham Marketing, Inc., she had to go. As a result, she was starving, having missed dinner, and in desperate need of a drink.

As she waited for the bartender to come over, she contemplated whether she should order a nice glass of wine, or go for something much stronger to take the edge of the day off. As she thought about it, her stomach growled a bit and her decision was made for her. Better not hit the hard stuff on an empty stomach. Safer to go with a glass of wine. She reached out and grabbed the menu to peruse the offerings for food as well.

When the bartender approached, she glanced up with a smile, not noticing the other patron who had sat just around the corner of the bar.

"Hello," the bartender began. "What can I get for you?"

"Hello," Elsie responded back. "Well, first, I am in desperate need of a glass of wine," she smiled as she said so. "How about a pinot noir? Whatever you have is fine," she said, "and also, I could murder a good, solid burger. Any recommendations?" she asked.

Again, she did not notice the other patron who was watching her and smirking at the way she expressed her hunger. There was something about her that caught his attention. Maybe more than one thing. He was first intrigued by her accent. Scottish, he thought. And then, the idea that she didn't have a particular fancy for any certain wine was shocking to him. Lastly, the fact that this petite, classy, and beautiful woman used the expression "murder a burger" was a bit startling, albeit humorous, to him. She captivated his attention in many ways, and he couldn't help smirking at her interaction with the bartender. Something drew him to her, and he was curious to explore exactly what it was.

He watched as she finished her order and when the bartender turned to walk away, Charles held up his hand and said, "Excuse me?"

The bartender acknowledged him by saying, "I'll be right with you, sir."

"Actually," Charles said, holding the bartender there, "I need you to amend that order that you have," he said, glancing over to the beautiful woman. His stomach did a bit of a flip as he did so, looking into her gorgeous, deep blue eyes. "I can't let her drink just any pinot noir you have," he explained. "Please, if you would, bring me a bottle of Reuling Vineyard's 2014?" The bartender glanced over to Elsie, who was observing the interaction with surprising interest. She looked over to Charles, obviously assessing him, and then back to the bartender and gave a slight nod.

"Anything else, sir?" the bartender asked.

Charles thought for a moment. He was quite hungry himself. "Yes," he said, smiling. "I could murder a burger, too. I'll have what she's having." The bartender laughed a bit and nodded his head as he walked over to the computer to put the order in.

Once the bartender was out of earshot, Charles glanced over to Elsie, who was clearly appraising him. When he was about to speak, she beat him to it. "And what makes you think that I need help ordering my drinks?" she asked, with a smirk. "I'm fully capable of doing so myself, you know."

Charles waited a moment, captivated by the spark in those deep, blue eyes. "Well, I'm sorry to say, but 'whatever you have is fine' doesn't seem as if it would be good enough for a beautiful, intelligent woman such as yourself," he explained.

Elsie scoffed at his comment before saying, "And do you do this often, Mr….?"

"Carson. Charles Carson," he said, reaching his hand out. Elsie hesitated a moment, but then put her much smaller hand in his, shaking it solidly. She felt a spark when she touched his warm skin, and it ignited a small fire in the pit of her stomach. She'd never felt something like that before.

"Mr. Carson," she said. "Do you make it a habit of sitting at hotel bars and ordering wine for women?" she asked.

Charles hesitated for a moment. He wanted to craft his answer in the best way possible. "Well," he began, "there are two answers to your question. The first is no, and the second is a bit more complicated, but the bottom line is yes, I order wine often."

"Hmmm...well, nice meeting you," Elsie said, dismissing him and turning back to face the bar.

"Aren't you going to let me explain?" Charles asked.

Elsie looked at him pointedly. She didn't do this. First of all, she didn't have time for things like this. She worked like crazy and any free time was spent with the few close friends she had and her sister. Men weren't on her radar at this point in her life. She was married to her job, so to speak. Secondly, this man basically just told her he made it a habit of ordering wine for women. It was a bit strange. However, what was even more strange, was the growing warmth in her stomach as she looked at and listened to him. His deep voice was so sexy, it almost made her shiver. And the feeling she got when her skin came in contact with his was nearly unexplainable. She hadn't felt anything like it whenever coming into contact with another human. She fought herself internally and it was her base instincts and not her brain that won.

"Well," she said, "I suppose it would be rude of me to not give you one minute to explain, so there you have it. You have a minute," she said seriously, checking her watch. She didn't like games, and she hoped he wasn't going to play them.

"Tough. I like that," he said, smiling. Elsie was not amused, lifting her eyebrows seriously, and Charles could see that. So, he began his explanation. "For your first question, no, I don't make it a habit of sitting at hotel bars and ordering drinks for women. To be honest, this is the first time I've been at a hotel bar in ages. I do travel for my job, but I don't usually have time for such luxuries. My flight came in tonight but my meetings don't begin until tomorrow, so here I am. I was a bit tired from the travel and didn't feel much like traversing the city, so I thought I'd stay close." At that, Elsie nodded her head a bit. "Secondly, when I said yes, that I order wine for women, the real answer is that I order wine for a multitude of people, not just women. I am the chief buyer and sommelier for the company I work for, so my job, in fact, is to choose and order the best wine. In my family and social circles, when I have time to socialize, I am always tasked now with making sure the wine is up to snuff," Charles explained, looking down at his watch. "A-ha! Fifty-eight seconds! How did I do?" he asked, looking deeply into Elsie's eyes.

"Well," Elsie began, but she was interrupted by the bartender coming over and presenting the bottle of wine to Charles. After Charles nodded his head and agreed, the bartender began opening the bottle.

"Now," he said, not letting Elsie answer his previous question, "if we are going to share this bottle of wine," he raised his very prominent eyebrows as he said this, "it would be a bit easier if we were sitting next to each other. Would you mind if I moved over next to you?" he asked tentatively.

Elsie considered him for a moment. She was alone in a foreign city. She was completely knackered by the day and the extra time she had to put in. She was desperate for some of that wine, and she couldn't help the warm feeling in the pit of her stomach. Propriety be damned, she thought, as she nodded her head and said, "By all means, Mr. Carson," as she put her hand out, signaling the seat next to her. Charles raised his eyebrows and smiled widely.

He walked the few steps to the seat next to her and sat down in time for the bartender to hand him a wine glass with a bit of wine in it. Elsie watched as he first sniffed the wine, then swirled it around in his glass, then took a sip, eyes closed as he did so. Elsie was enamored by the process and how dedicated he seemed to be to it. To her, wine was wine. A nice glass of pinot noir or merlot and she was a happy lady. Charles proceeded to open his eyes and give a slight nod to the bartender, handing his glass back. "The lady first," he said, and the bartender poured a glass of the wine and handed it to Elsie. Elsie tipped her head, along with the glass towards Charles, but she waited for him to receive his glass before she took a sip of hers.

"Cheers," he said, smiling.

"And what exactly are we drinking to?" she asked.

"To new friendships and the fact that you are going to allow me a bit more of your time," he said, hoping that she would agree.

Elsie had her own thoughts about the time she would allow. She didn't mean to, and she didn't know where it came from, but a flash of naked skin and his hands upon her went through her mind when he said that. What was going on in her head? It had been a long time since she even thought of such things. Her breakup with Joe years ago had ensured she didn't think much about those things these days at all. He was anything but adventurous, and their time in the bedroom was almost more like a duty than anything. But the feelings she got inside her stomach and in her most private areas were surprising her right now. What was happening to her?

"Hmmmm…" she finally said, trying to mask the heat she felt on her skin. "To possible new friendships and a bit more time together," she said, clinking her glass with his. They both took long sips of their wine, Elsie rolling the liquid around in her mouth as she saw Charles do just a minute ago. She had to admit, this wine was delicious. "Mmmmmmmm," she said, as she swallowed.

Charles nearly choked at the sound she made. He didn't even know this gorgeous woman's name, but if the things she was doing to his body with just the sound emanating from her was any indication, he needed to ensure that he found out more than just her name.

After clearing his throat, he finally asked, "So, have we gotten to the point where you will tell me your name, then?" he asked, turning a bit towards her.

"I think you have earned that at least, with this marvelous choice of wine, yes," she said, smiling. Charles couldn't help but stare at her luscious mouth as she spoke. "My name is Elspeth Hughes," she said, reaching her hand out again to him, secretly wanting to touch his skin to see if she felt that jolt of electricity again. When he took her hand, there was no mistaking the electric shock that went through her, down to the pit of her stomach. She was instantly filled with warmth.

"Lovely to meet you, Elspeth Hughes," he said, holding her hand for a few seconds longer than he probably should have. He couldn't help the feeling he got deep down when he touched her; it just felt right. After a moment, he reluctantly let go of her hand and took his wine glass up again.

* * *

Nearly two hours later and on their last dregs of the bottle of wine, the conversation was flowing.

"Honestly, and I mean this in the most respectable way possible, I have never seen such a petite woman take on a burger that size and win. I am most impressed," Charles said genuinely.

Elsie laughed heartily. She was so hungry she had eaten the whole thing. "I was starving. I had to skip dinner for a meeting my colleague was supposed to attend, and lunch was a quick on-the-go affair. And besides, one thing my friends know about me is to never come between me and a good burger," she explained, smiling. "I have to say, this wine is definitely a new favorite. It's delicious."

Charles smiled at her. As he watched her talk, he became more and more entranced. She was glorious. How was he going to work it so he could see her again?

"Well, as it is my job, I must say thank you. I must be doing something right," he said, laughing. "I do get paid well to find good wine."

Elsie nodded her head, an inquisitive look on her face. "How does one become a sommelier?" she inquired.

"Well, I'm sure my story is a long and boring one, honestly," he began. "Perhaps one day, over another bottle of wine I'll indulge you with the mundane details. But for now, the bottom line is that I have a degree in business administration, and I still work in that arena, however, over the years, as I became more well-versed in wine, I landed in a job that combines both my degree and my love of wine," he explained.

Elsie nodded her head again, a smile on her lips. "It doesn't sound boring or mundane at all, actually," she said. As she was about to comment further, the bartender came over to ask them if they wanted anything else. Once Elsie saw the time, she shook her head, realizing she needed to get some rest before another busy day of meetings tomorrow.

When the bartender came back over with their check, Charles quickly took it, with Elsie protesting.

"I can pay for myself," she said, adamantly.

"Absolutely not," Charles said. "I pushed myself into your company tonight, and I would like to thank you for indulging me. I've truly enjoyed myself."

Elsie knew she wasn't going to win, so she simply nodded her head quickly, before saying, "Thank you, Mr. Carson."

"Charles, please," he said.

"Charles," Elsie repeated. As she said his name, the way the sound of the r almost reverberated in her mouth sent chills down his spine. How was he going to get her to agree to spend more time with him, he wondered?

When the bartender handed his card back to him, Charles placed it back in his wallet and stood up.

"Well, Ms. Hughes," he began.

"Ah, ah, ah," Elsie interrupted. "If you insist on me calling you Charles, then I must insist on you calling me Elsie," she said.

Charles smiled widely. "Elsie," he said. "I like that. Well, Elsie, may I be a gentleman and walk you to your room?" he asked. He was trying to bide more time to figure out how he could work in more time with her tomorrow.

Elsie hesitated for a moment. When they were around other people, it seemed fine, her being with a stranger. But if they were to be alone, on the elevator or in the hotel hallway, would it be okay? She assessed the situation carefully, yet quickly, deciding that for some reason, her gut was telling her that this man was not only trustworthy, but there was something about him that she just couldn't get out of her head.

"Sure, Charles," she answered. "That would be lovely," she responded.

* * *

They continued to chat easily as they made their way up to the eighth floor, stepping out of the elevator, and walking towards Elsie's room. Once in front of the door, Elsie turned to Charles.

"Well, thank you for a lovely time, for the wine and the food. Traveling can get very lonely at times, and I very much enjoyed your company tonight," she said sincerely, placing her keycard into the slot.

"And I enjoyed yours," Charles said as Elsie turned back towards him, now holding her door slightly ajar. Charles hesitated for a moment, and then decided to be brave and ask. "Is there any way I can see you again tomorrow?"

Elsie thought about it, considering her tight schedule. She actually did want to see him again. The tightness in her stomach and the pull between her legs was telling her that not only did her mind enjoy this man, her body was reacting to him as well. Unfortunately, her schedule was booked solid. "I'm not sure, unfortunately," she said. "I'm booked with meetings tomorrow," she said, reluctantly.

"Pity," Charles said, trying to figure out what his next move could be. "I know this is forward," he began, "but there is something about you, Elsie Hughes. I'm not sure I can let you slip through my fingers," he said, looking straight into her eyes.

What Elsie saw looking back into his eyes was startling. He was genuine, and endearing, and the way he was looking at her was making her knees go weak. It had been so long since she even considered being with a man again. However, she couldn't deny the feelings she was having. Why not live a little? She thought to herself. Whether she was fueled by the wine or her raging hormones, she wasn't sure, but whatever it was, it was propelling her to act completely out of character.

"Then don't," she said, grabbing him by the tie and pulling him into her hotel room.

Charles didn't know what he was expecting, but this surely wasn't it. He was completely speechless, but that didn't last for long.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Thank you to everyone for your response to what I thought might be a one-shot. However, as one guest reviewer said, I do not want it on my conscience to upset anyone by not continuing, so here you go. Props to Aussiegirl41 for guessing where I was going. ChelsieSouloftheAbbey, I hope I live up to making something out of a sexy start for our Chelsie. To everyone, thank you so much for the kind reviews and encouragement. Life has been super busy lately, so I apologize for the wait, but I hope it was worth it. Enjoy, and please let me know what you think.**_

What the hell was she doing? She honestly had no idea, but whatever it was, she was certainly enjoying the soft kisses down her neck and under her ear. She threaded her fingers into his hair, tugging on it a bit as he touched upon a particularly sensitive area she never knew existed. His tongue softly caressed her skin before he left little kisses upon the area it vacated. At the feeling it evoked, she let out a soft moan, enticing Charles to continue his ministrations. He kissed up and across her jawline, making his way to her very delectable lips.

I can't believe this is happening, he thought to himself, as his lips met hers. She parted her lips almost instantly, inviting him to explore her mouth while she caressed his tongue with her own. Her hands slipped down to the lapels of his jacket and she pulled on them to get the garment over his broad shoulders and onto the floor. As she did so, Charles hesitated. Lord knows, he wanted this more than he wanted anyone or anything, ever, but he wanted to make sure she wasn't going to regret this. He pulled back slightly, looking into those gorgeous blue eyes. He could see nothing but desire in them, a mirror to his own.

"Elsie," he whispered, "are you sure?" He asked.

She leaned forward and kissed him gently on the lips. "I don't want to think right now, Charles," she replied. "I want to feel. And heaven knows you are making me feel things I don't think I ever have," she said, rubbing his shoulders. She didn't know what had come over her. This wasn't who she was. She was definitely not impulsive, and most certainly not adventurous. However, this man was bringing out so many sides to her she didn't know existed.

Elsie could see him hesitating for a moment. "Kiss me, Charles," she said. And he didn't have to be told twice. After that it was a whirlwind of taking off clothes, interspersed with long, sensual kisses, soft touches and caresses, and they found themselves down to their undergarments.

"Beautiful," Charles whispered. "Absolutely exquisite," he said as he reached out and caressed the side of Elsie's face, looking at her gorgeous body from head to toe. He softly caressed her cheek, which had blushed completely at his words. She had never felt particularly beautiful. However, with the way he was looking at her in that moment, she felt more beautiful than she ever had. This man. This lovely, strong, handsome, charismatic man was making her melt into a puddle. She couldn't help it anymore, and she dove right in, kissing him senseless.

* * *

They were both trying to catch their breath, the feelings running through their bodies new to both of them. Sure, they'd had experiences before. You didn't get to this age without them. However, for each of them, neither had ever felt this way after making love. Soft touches, mixed with the excitement of something new, heavy breaths between them, all mingling into a passion-filled night where they were both completely dedicated to making the other feel intensely, enjoy passionately, and get completely lost in each other, and not just once.

By two o'clock in the morning, after hours of overly fantastic coupling, Elsie was again feeling the exhaustion she had felt earlier. She had no idea how she had mustered up the energy to participate in the marathon sex they had just had, but she knew that if she was going to be anywhere near fit for her full day tomorrow, she was going to have to get some sleep. She looked up at Charles from where her head was on his chest, their heavy breathing finally subsiding, and said, "As much as I'd like to do that again, I really need some sleep," she smiled down at him.

Charles reached up and tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. "Agreed, although reluctantly," he said, smiling back, then leaning up to peck her on the lips. Elsie smiled at that.

"You can stay, if you like, but you must promise to be a good boy and sleep. And you must leave early so I can get organized for my day," she said.

Charles put his hand over his heart. "I promise," he said. Elsie then turned over, her back to Charles, and he proceeded to cuddle up behind her, wrapping his arm around her middle and kissing her shoulder, before he drifted off into the most peaceful sleep he had had in years.

* * *

Elsie woke with a start. Oh my God! What time was it? What was that delicious ache between her legs? What was that wonderful, warm feeling pressed up against her back? As the thoughts of last night came back to her, a big smile adorned her face. Just as she was about to turn around, she felt the soft lips of her evening companion on her shoulder, then along her shoulder blade, and up her neck. God, she could get used to this. She bit her bottom lip, telling herself to wait out the kisses to see where he would go next.

Just at that thought, Elsie's hotel phone rang, and she nearly jumped. She scampered over the bed to grab the phone. "Hello," she said in a raspy morning voice.

"Elsie!" It was Anna's frantic voice on the other end of the line. "Where have you been I've been calling your cell phone for the past 45 minutes! We have major changes going on with your schedule today. The company has had a major acquisition. I flew in this morning and Mr. Crawley will be here at 10 for the big meeting. We need to prep ASAP!" Elsie could hardly make sense of it all.

"Wait, what?" She asked.

"Never mind," Anna said. "I'm almost there. I took a cab from the airport. I'll be to your hotel and up to your room in no less than ten minutes," Anna said, hanging up.

It took Elsie a minute to make sense of it all. "Shit," she said, jumping out of bed. "Shitshitshitshitshit!"

"What is it?" Charles asked. Elsie had nearly forgotten about him when Anna called and gave her all that information. When she realized she was standing naked, she immediately grabbed the first thing she could reach, a pillow, and held it in front of her.

"You need to leave right now!" She said. "My assistant is on the way and she'll be here any minute. Huge things have happened with my company, and I was too caught up with you to do my job and answer by damn phone!" Elsie said emphatically. When she looked at the hurt look on Charles' face, she immediately felt awful. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean it like that. I just need to get ready and be to a meeting sooner than later," she explained, hoping he would understand.

Charles sat on the edge of the bed and began to put his clothes on, as Elsie found her robe and put it around her body. Once Charles was presentable, he walked over to Elsie, kissed her softly on the cheek and said, "I had a wonderful time, Elsie. I hope, when all of your meetings are over, that you will allow me to see you again." He reached into his inner coat pocket and pulled out his card, handing it to Elsie. "If you feel the same, please call me," he said, kissing her again softly on the lips, and walked out the door.

* * *

As much as Elsie wanted to think about him, about seeing him again, about the absolutely fantastic night they had, she didn't have the time. What she needed to think about at this moment was a shower and making herself look presentable for her day. What could have happened in the last twelve hours to completely change her whole day? She was confused and intrigued at the same time.

A few minutes after Charles had left, there was a knock on Elsie's door. When she answered it, her assistant, whom she adored, walked matter of factly into her room. "So funny," she said. "I just passed a man at the elevators who looked like he had had a fun night. Had a smile on his face like the cat who ate the canary," Anna giggled. When she realized Elsie was stood still and not moving, she said, "Els,you have about twenty minutes to get ready because I need to prep you on all of his before the meeting." She sat down at the table in the room while Elsie gathered her things and went into the loo.

* * *

"I don't understand how this all happened so quickly," Elsie said as she took a sip of her coffee, looking at the paperwork in front of her. She looked up to Anna, expecting an explanation. Anna did not disappoint, as always.

"Well, apparently Mr. Crawley has had his eye on this company for a long time. You know how he is with his hobbies. If he can turn them into work, then he is a happy man. I guess this company is run by an old school chum of his, and he contacted Mr. Crawley to let him know that the current owners are ready to retire, and were beginning to search out a buyer, and his school chum thought he'd give Mr. Crawley first dibs, knowing his affinity for the product, and our company's history of acquisition, taking over products that we have marketed in the past. Although we haven't previously had a working relationship with this company, apparently Mr. Crawley and his mate have talked before casually about Mr. Crawley getting into this type of product. Does that make sense?"

Elsie nodded her head, taking it all in. "It does," she said. "Can I see the business outline just so I have the background?" She asked as Anna handed over the portfolio. Elsie glanced through the company profile, making herself aware of the important details.

"Did you work on my schedule for today and re-arrange my other commitments?" Elsie asked. "I imagine this will take a few hours. Did Mr. Crawley's son-in-law come with the legal team to make it all official today?"

"Yes, and yes," Anna answered. "We better get going. We start in about fifteen minutes. Elsie gathered her things and placed them in her work bag.

"Here we go," Elsie said, making sure she put her strongest work face on. She always played a major role in these business events, and today would not be any different.

* * *

After she and Anna had gotten to the conference room, greeted everyone from the company and gotten settled, she was deep in conversation with Anna, who was pulling documents up on Elsie's computer. Elsie was zoned in on the computer screen, reading what Anna had produced for her. Then, they heard Robert Crawley's loud voice, and Anna looked up.

"A-ha, my old chap!" He said. "How have you been old boy" Robert walked towards the doorway of the conference room and hugged his old friend.

Anna said, "Elsie, it's the man I told you I saw this morning at the elevators," she said, giggling. At that, Elsie's head snapped up, and her eyes locked with those soft, gorgeous, warm brown eyes of Charles Carson.

"Everyone," Robert said, "I'd like you all to meet Charles Carson, one of my best mates from uni," he said with his hand behind Carson's back, a smile on Robert's face. "He is representing the Owen Mills Vineyards today."

"Oh fuck," Elsie said under her breath. Anna glanced over at her quickly. "Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck," she said again. Anna's eyes got wide and she suddenly realized why Elsie was acting in such a way.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hi everyone! Here is chapter 3. I'm not completely happy with it, but here it is. I do have a direction I'm going with this, so please bear with me. Thanks to everyone for your support, for reading and reviewing. You are the best!**_

* * *

Anna's eyes got wide as she took in Elsie's reaction. "Really?" she asked, with a tone of surprise and disbelief. If Elsie did what she was assuming, she was, indeed, shocked. In all the years she had known Elsie, she had never known her to date anyone or be with a man. She knew that she had had a fiance in the past, long before she knew her, but that had been broken off and since that time, Elsie put all her energy into her job, her sister, and her close friends.

Just as Elsie was about to reply to Anna, Robert broke in, "Elsie, please, come meet Charles," he said, with a smile on his face. Elsie looked briefly at Anna before changing her face and standing up, turning towards Robert and Charles. She pushed her shoulders back, stood up tall, and walked over towards the gentlemen, who were standing by the door. She held her hand out and looked into his eyes. When she did, her stomach fluttered and she felt the pleasant ache between her legs. Get yourself together, girl! She told herself.

"Pleased to meet you, Charles," she said, shaking his hand. Yep, it was still there. That electric feeling she felt when first touching him last night, that connection that had pulled her to him, the one that had made her lose her mind and drag him into her hotel room. It definitely didn't go away since this morning. Shit, Elsie thought. I need to focus and stop letting him affect me like this. His booming voice pulled her from her thoughts, and she vowed to focus entirely on the task at hand.

"Very nice to meet you, too, Ms. Hughes," he said, with a smirk that only Elsie could define. One that told her he knew exactly what she was thinking.

"Oh, you might as well start calling her Elsie," Robert cut in. "The two of you will be working together a lot over the coming months, now that Owen Mills is a part of Crawley Enterprises," Charles explained. "You'll probably get to know Charles here better that I do," Robert laughed.

Elsie coughed a little, her face growing red. Oh, you have no idea, Elsie thought. I already do. Her eyes got wide and she caught Charles looking at her, that smirk still evident on his face. He is relishing in my discomfort! She thought. Hmpf! I'll show him.

"All right," Elsie piped up. "Shall we get this started?" she asked, imploring Robert to buckle down and get serious. She walked back to her seat and put her hand up as Anna was about to ask her something, which she assumed was about what just happened. "Later," she whispered. Yes, she was going to have to explain herself later. But what explanation would she give? What have I gotten myself into? Elsie asked herself as she tried desperately to focus on the task at hand, and not the tall, handsome, strong man sitting across the conference table.

* * *

"All right," Robert said, "I think that's the most important aspects sorted, but I'm starving. These little snacks are doing nothing for me. Let's break for lunch and come back together at 2:30 to finish this deal up," he said as everyone nodded and began to gather their things. As Elsie was putting her laptop into her bag, Robert came up behind her. "Elsie, I'd like you to join Charles and me for lunch. There are a few things I want to discuss with both of you about this acquisition and what it means as far as your workload goes."

Elsie thought for a moment, desperately willing herself to come up with some sort of excuse as to why she couldn't join them. However, this was work, and work was her number one. "Um, ah, uh," Elsie stammered, only able to think about how she was going to act around Charles, knowing what she did about him.

"Are you okay, Elsie?" Robert asked. "You seem a bit frazzled today and not so much the Scottish dragon that we all know and love," he said with a smirk.

At that comment, Elsie straightened herself up and stood tall, deciding she wouldn't let anyone, even the handsome devil who was staring at her across the table right now, stand in the way of her getting her job done, and done well. "I'm perfectly fine, Robert," she said, "just didn't get a lot of sleep last night. Hotel beds, you know? I'll just pop to the loo and then I'll be fighting fit for our lunch meeting," she said.

"All right then," Robert announced. "See everyone at 2:30."

* * *

"Okay, Carson," Robert said as the three of them sat around the table in the hotel restaurant, "show this lady your skills." At that comment, Charles coughed on the water he had just taken a sip of. Robert's eyes got big and reached to pat Charles on the back. "Are you okay, man? Did I say something?" Robert asked.

Charles shook his head as his coughing subsided. He took his napkin and wiped his mouth. He couldn't help the images of the pale, soft, freckled skin that went through his mind as Robert said that. Skills, indeed, he thought. She has some skills of her own. "Sorry about that," Charles choked out, red-faced. "Just went down the wrong way," he explained. "I'm assuming you mean you would like me to order us some wine?" Charles asked. At that, he took a chance look across the table at Elsie, who looked as if she were caught out, a schoolgirl in trouble. Both of them were thinking of the previous night and their conversation about Charles ordering wine for people often.

Elsie's mind also drifted to his "other" skills, but she made herself push those thoughts to the side. She needed to focus, and she needed to focus now, with no distractions. She didn't realize how hard that would be, given the fact that the main object of all of her distractions was sitting just across the table from her, his deep, reverberating voice sending chills down her spine. It was frustrating her to no end.

"Well then," Charles said, clearing his throat yet again, "first things first, red or white?" He asked, looking first at Robert and then locking eyes with Elsie.

Robert answered, deferring to Elsie. "I think we should let the lady decide." He looked over, imploring Elsie to make the decision.

"White, I think," she said. Red would make her revert back to last night's memories, of which she was desperately trying to avoid. Charles nodded his head and worked on choosing the wine for them.

* * *

After about an hour and a half, they wrapped up their business lunch, which was mainly dominated by Robert explaining to them his thoughts about the new acquisition and what Charles and Elsie would be doing in regards to it. It turned out, Robert was giving Charles complete control over Owen Mills, aside from the marketing, which he wanted Elsie in sole control of. She was the absolute best at her job, and he wouldn't let anyone else direct the marketing of his new "baby", as he called it. He wanted it to be a complete success and he knew that "two of his favorite people," as he said, working together, would be nothing but a complete success.

That very thing is what Elsie was thinking about when they got back to the empty conference room a bit ahead of schedule.

"I'm going to run to the loo before we go ahead and finish this," Robert said to them. Elsie took a deep breath, realizing that she and Charles would be alone. She rifled through her bag, trying to look busy to avoid eye contact with him. She pulled out her laptop and worked on starting it up so that she was prepared for the rest of the afternoon. After a moment, she didn't even have to look up. She felt his presence close to her.

"Elsie," he said in barely a whisper. She looked up then, into his large, kind, burning eyes. She was speechless. Her mouth was dry and she didn't know what to say. He reached his hand out and placed it on her arm. The heat Elsie felt from his touch was astounding. How did he do that? She wondered.

Finally, after focusing on the present, she whispered, "Charles, we can't," and she shook her head. Honestly, what she wanted to say was that yes, she wanted him again. The sensations and feelings that he created within her were out of this world, but she would not mix business with pleasure. That never resulted in anything good.

He shook his head and simply asked, "Why not?" With a pleading look in his eyes, not taking his hand away.

"Because I have a strict policy where I don't mix work and my personal life. Well, that part of my personal life, anyway. And Robert wouldn't like it, I'm sure," she explained.

Charles thought for a moment and then he said, "Elsie, I can't get you out of my head. There is something here, between us, and I don't want to see that be tossed aside when there could be a chance for something. And I don't just mean in bed. There's something more, some connection. I told you last night, I don't do this. Ever. But after being with you, I don't think I can possibly let you go," he said with conviction.

Just as Elsie was about to reply, to explain that it wasn't going to be a possibility, Robert came walking back in, followed by Anna, Matthew, and the rest of the team. Elsie quickly turned back to her computer, but not before shaking her head at Charles.

She couldn't do this. Not now. She was at a really great place with her career, and introducing a man into her life, especially someone whom she was supposed to be working closely with, was not going to help that at all. What the hell was she going to do now, she wondered? Truthfully, her heart was telling her that she should whisk Charles back up to her hotel room and have a repeat performance of last night. But her mind, that was a whole different entity, and it ruled her with precise rationality, telling her that her number one in life was work and her sister. But didn't she deserve to have a little fun once in awhile, she questioned herself?

* * *

The afternoon meetings went by quickly, with Elsie so deeply involved in her work that she had naught a minute to think about her current quandary. At nearly five, Robert stood up excitedly, declaring Owen Mills to be completely part of Crawley Enterprises, signing the last of the documents along with Charles.

"To finish up," Robert began, "Charles has taken the liberty to choose one of Owen Mills' finest wines to share with all of us in celebration!" Everyone looked around with smiles, glad that the day was over and that they were able to celebrate a bit. Once the wine had been poured and everyone had a glass, Robert continued. "I have known this gift here for more years than I care to admit, and I am extremely thrilled to bring him on board and for him to finally be a part of Grantham Enterprises. I don't know how long I have been trying to get him here, but he is one of the most loyal, dedicated, and trustworthy persons I have had the absolute pleasure to know, and I am thoroughly excited for us to begin working together. To Charles Carson!" He said, raising his glass.

"To Charles Carson," everyone echoed, doing the same and then tasting the wine. There was a collective "Mmmmm" throughout the room, as everyone experienced the flavors. It didn't escape Elsie's observations that Charles had chosen a pinot noir. And it was indeed, delicious. If anything, the man was most certainly good at choosing wine. Hell, who was she kidding, he was very good at a great many things. Just as her mind began to wander, Anna whispered into Elsie's ears.

"Well, with a toast like that and those descriptors, I'd say you better snatch him up now, before the others get to him!" Elsie quickly looked over to Anna with wide eyes.

"Whatever do you mean?" Elsie whispered back.

Anna just smirked. "Don't play the fool with me, Elsie. We have known each other for far too long for you to get away with the looks you were giving Mr. Carson. You practically raised me, for goodness sake. Do you really think I, of all people, wouldn't notice your reaction when you saw him this morning? And if I'm not mistaken, I might venture to guess that it was your room Mr. Carson was coming from when I saw him at the elevators this morning. Shall I just start calling you the canary now?" Anna asked, teasingly.

Elsie was clearly shaken. She thought she had hid her emotions and reactions pretty well, however she neglected to think about how well Anna really knew her. She began to explain herself. "Anna, I…"

But Anna cut in. "Stop right there, Elsie. I'll hear none of your excuses. Work, blah, blah, blah. Becky, blah, blah, blah. Me and John, blah, blah, blah. I know, you'll tell me I'm being indignant considering you're my boss and all, but really. You deserve to be happy, Elsie. You need a little fun and romance in your life. No one deserves it more than you, to be honest. You work like crazy and then you take care of everyone else. How about letting someone take care of you for once?" Anna asked imploringly. Elsie just stared at her, speechless. "And don't think I didn't notice the way he's been looking at you all day, either," Anna said with finality, walking away and not even giving Elsie the chance to reply.

Elsie took a deep breath before saying, "Well, hmpf." Truth was, she didn't know what to say. Was Anna right? Her heart fluttered, telling her yes, indeed, Anna was right. But what was she going to do about it? She didn't want to make the decision on a whim, but isn't that what she did last night? And look how wonderful that went. Maybe doing things on a whim should become her new modus operandi, she thought as she took another sip of her wine, a smirk on her face.

 **Please do tell me what you think. And if you have any suggestions as to how you'd like this to go, dont hesitate to throw them out there. Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

_**WOW! You are all awesome! Thank you so much for your reviews and comments. They really propelled me to focus on getting another chapter up sooner. Another will be forthcoming soon, with hopefully some more Charles, and of course, our other favorite red head, Beryl. Please let me know what you think.**_

* * *

Once the wine was finished, everyone began packing up their things and headed out for the evening. Elsie and Anna were going to reconvene after they freshened up to go over Elsie's schedule for the rest of the week, but as they were about to walk out of the conference room, Anna's phone rang. When she answered it and found out who was calling, she stopped Elsie.

"It's Becky's home," she explained. "They're looking for you," Anna said, handing Elsie her phone. Her own phone had been on silent for the afternoon meeting.

Elsie had a worried look on her face. The home usually only called when Becky was sick, and Elsie felt a sinking feeling in her stomach, completely replacing the flippant butterflies that had been inhabiting there all day.

"Hello," Elsie said, stopping and putting her shoulder against the wall. Anna proceeded to take Elsie's bag from her shoulders and stand a few feet away. Elsie gave her a grateful look as she continued to listen to the caller. After a few minutes, Elsie was off the phone and she handed Anna her phone back.

"When was I flying back?" Elsie asked, quickly.

"Tomorrow afternoon," Anna answered right away, knowing Elsie's schedule by heart for the next couple days. She desperately wanted to ask about Becky, but knew Elsie needed to get the logistics sorted before they got into the details.

"Anything pressing here that I can't do remotely, from my computer? Meetings and the like?" she asked Anna.

"No," Anna answered. "Not really. You and Mr. Carson were supposed to have a preliminary planning meeting to discuss how we wanted to introduce Owen Mills as a Crawley Enterprises acquisition, but if need be, it can be rescheduled, or done through video conferencing."

Elsie nodded her head and then said, "I'll be right back. Going to catch Robert before he gets away. Can you move up our return flight to tonight, please?" Anna nodded and waited in the hallway, already working on her phone to call the airline.

When Elsie walked back into the conference room, Robert was still chatting with Charles. She hated to interrupt, but she had to. Her sister needed her, and getting to her was the only thing on Elsie's mind. "Robert," she called, "may I speak with you for a moment? It's urgent." Robert looked over to Elsie, and told Charles he'd be right back.

"Everything okay, Elsie?" Robert asked. Elsie's face was blank, and Robert noted the way she chewed her bottom lip. Charles also noted her doing that, and it brought him back to the previous night, when he saw her do it while she was in deep concentration. He started to get the tingling feeling that he got when she touched him again, and he had to look away for fear of embarrassing himself completely in front of some of his new colleagues. He walked over to the table that faced the wall and grabbed a bottle of water, hoping to distract himself from his thoughts.

"I just got a call about Becky, and I need to leave as soon as possible. Are you okay with me working remotely the next few days? I'll have Anna get in contact with Mr. Carson to set something up to start planning the launch, but I'm afraid that I need to be back home," Elsie explained.

Robert immediately replied, "Of course, Elsie. The important stuff got done today, so no worries. I think Charles needs a day or two to get acclimated and settled anyway, so no worries. Get in touch when you can, and give Becky a hug from Cora and me. Let us know how she is, when you get a chance," Robert said, hugging Elsie before she swiftly left the room. He turned back to Charles with a concerned look on his face.

Charles immediately asked, "Everything okay? Who is Becky?"

Robert answered in as diplomatic a way as possible. "I hope everything is okay," he said. "As far as Becky, all I can say is that she's Elsie's sister. The rest will have to be up to Elsie to tell you, as she is a very private person. Once you get to know her, I'm sure she'll let you in," Robert explained. Charles could only nod his reply as the wheels started spinning in his mind. He was realizing that there were many layers to Elsie Hughes, and he was hoping that she would let him peel them away, given time.

* * *

It wasn't until Elsie and Anna were safely in their plane seats and headed back to London that Elsie explained to Anna the situation. They had rushed to pack their things in order to get to the airport on time, after which they pretty much ran to their terminal, making it onto the plane at the last minute.

After they were settled, Anna finally took a deep breath and looked over to Elsie, imploring her to divulge the information about Becky. "The infection is back in her lungs, so she has spiked a fever and they put her back on the oxygen. You know she hates that damn mask. Makes her remember horrible things from when we were young. The nurse said she keeps trying to take it off." Elsie took a deep breath and then continued. "I'm the only one who can convince her to keep it on...that nothing bad will happen. These infections are so frustrating. I know that people with CP are more prone to them, but this is her third this year. I blame it on the continual fluctuation of the weather. It's just not conducive to her condition. I just don't know what else to do." Elsie stopped for a moment, contemplating the situation. Anna reached over and took her hand, holding it tightly.

"London's weather is horrible for everyone, but especially for people with conditions like Becky's. You know," Anna began, knowing that what she was about to say wasn't going to sit well with Elsie, "you have barely taken any time off in the past, what, ten years?"

Elsie shook her head. "Don't go there, Anna," she began.

But this time, Anna wasn't having it. "I am going to go there, Elsie, but only because what I am going to say is something you need to hear. No, no, don't stop me," Anna said, holding her hand up. "I know you won't fire me...we've too much invested for that," Anna smirked, and Elsie tilted her head, knowing that Anna was right. Elsie proceeded to pull her bottom lip into her mouth, gnawing on it as she always did when she was nervous or thinking deeply. "You need to take a break, Elsie. Take Becky to the seaside, where it's warm and sunny. It would do you both good," Anna said, squeezing Elsie's hand once more.

It took her a few minutes to reply, and Anna didn't press her. "Perhaps you're right," she finally said, getting an intense look of both shock and satisfaction from Anna. "But not until the launch for Owen Mills is settled. Once that happens, then I'll take Becky away for a bit. Perhaps recharge our batteries."

"Well," Anna began, "mark that one down in history. Elsie Hughes just said I was right," Anna said sarcastically. Elsie proceeded to nudge her in the arm with her elbow a bit, smirking at her protege who, more times than not, seemed more like a daughter to her.

"Better to get some rest, you cheeky thing," Elsie said. "Going to be a long night for me, for sure." Anna smirked and squeezed Elsie's hand once more before closing her eyes.

* * *

"Essie," Becky whispered as Elsie entered her room. Elsie immediately made her way to the side of Becky's bed, placing her hand on her forehead and pushing her hair back.

"Hello, love," Elsie whispered. "What's this I hear about you being a difficult patient?" She asked her sister with a soft smirk on her face, leaning down to kiss her cheek above the oxygen mask.

Becky's eyes got wide, thinking Elsie was upset with her, but she looked deep into Elsie's blue eyes and realized she was just worried. "I hate this, Essie," Becky said in her slower drawl. She reached her right hand up, trying to pull the mask off again, but Elsie stopped her, gently taking her curved right hand in her own, and holding it to her chest. She hated this. She didn't understand why, after all that her sister had already been through, she had to endure more. It took everything Elsie had to fight the tears that were pooling in her eyes. She had to be strong for her sister.

"I know you do, love, but it is part of what is going to make you better, make your lungs stronger, so that you can get over this and be back to your fighting-fit normal self," Elsie explained to her sister. Becky took a breath and nodded her head. Elsie looked at her watch. "You need to get some rest, Becks," she said.

At that, Becky shook her head. "I can't," she whispered. "I'm scared. Having this on my face scares me," she explained.

Elsie thought for a moment. "I know it does. How about I climb into that bed with you and hold you so you can get some sleep?" She asked, knowing that it was exactly what Becky needed and that her sister would agree right away. Elsie was the only person, now that their Mam was gone, who could calm and comfort her sister. It was part of why Elsie didn't really date. When Becky needed her, Elsie would drop everything to be there for her sister. Most men didn't take kindly to taking a back seat at times, so Elsie simply didn't involve them in her life for fear of disappointing someone. At that thought, a quick, fleeting memory of a tall, strong, handsome, brown-eyed man with a deep, sexy voice filled her mind. She wondered, for a quick moment, how Charles would react to such a thing, but pushed the thought from her mind almost as quickly as it made itself known, telling herself that Charles wouldn't want any part of her complicated life. No worries, she thought. Anyone who didn't see Becky for the beautiful, innocent, sweet, positive soul she was wasn't welcome in her personal life anyway.

At that, Elsie took her shoes off, lifted the blankets, and crawled in next to her sister, pulling her into her arms so that Becky's head rested on her shoulder. Becky whispered, "you could get in trouble, Essie." At that, Elsie just laughed.

"Let them yell at me," she said, smiling. "No one is going to stop me from cuddling my baby sister when she isn't well," Elsie said. "Now, you relax and get some sleep. I'll be here. I'm not going anywhere," she said, placing a kiss on her sister's head and squeezing her a bit.

"I love you, Essie," Becky whispered as she drifted off to sleep.

"And I, you, love," Elsie said as she watched her sister's face lose its tension and become more peaceful in sleep. Elsie got a lump in her throat when she thought about the situation. She was desperate to help her sister get better. Becky had enough issues as it was, without having an infection in her lungs. As she thought about this, she seriously contemplated what Anna had said earlier. She really should take Becky away to somewhere warm and sunny. After the Owen Mills launch, she promised herself. I'll definitely do it then.

As Elsie got settled and tried to get comfortable, she thought about sand and sun, and warmer weather. She couldn't understand, however, why each time she closed her eyes to think about being on a beach somewhere with her sister, there was a tall, dark stranger accompanying them. Every time he showed up in her mind, she opened her eyes, trying to make the thoughts go away. However, when she finally succumbed to sleep, she dreamed about a holiday, with her sister, of course, but also with another person accompanying them, and she just couldn't make sense of why her mind was insisting on creating that image for her. Too tired to think straight, it must be.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Hello lovelies! Happy weekend! Thank you to everyone for the positively awesome reviews to this story. Much more to come, but I wanted to begin your weekends with a little more of this story. Hoping for another update soon! Take care, all! Please let me know what you think...**_

* * *

For the next two days Elsie stayed with Becky, by her side except for when she had to use the loo, ensuring that Becky did what was required to fight the infection in her lungs. While her sister slept, Elsie kept up with work, Anna arranging for her to work remotely on a few of their projects, and rescheduling her planning meeting with Mr. Carson for the end of the week.

As Elsie was typing away on her computer, the doctor came in to discuss Becky's progress with her. Becky was resting, so Elsie stepped out into the hallway with Dr. Clarkson.

"So, how is she?" she asked nervously, knowing that he was bringing the test results back from her chest X-ray.

"Actually, much better," Dr. Clarkson said. "Having you here to calm her and keep her oxygen on has truly helped her progress. So much, to the point, that we can take her off the oxygen and just have her use the nebulizer a couple times a day. She should be able to return to her normal activities in a day or two, as long as she takes it easy."

Elsie was filled with relief. She could tell Becky was getting stronger the past day, but hearing it from the doctor most certainly lifted a weight from her shoulders. She thanked the doctor and walked back into Becky's room, checking on her sister to see her still sleeping peacefully. She sat at her computer and picked up her cell phone to call Anna, who picked up immediately.

"Hey Els. How's it going over there?" she asked.

"Good, good," Elsie replied. "Becky is much better. Beryl is going to come in this afternoon to sit with her so that I can pop into the office. I should be there around two, I think, after I go home to make myself presentable. What time did you reschedule my meeting for with Mr. Carson tomorrow?" Elsie asked, wanting to make sure she could come in and see Becky at some point tomorrow.

"I have your schedule up on the screen now. It is scheduled for two-thirty. I already cleared it with his end. Do you want it in your office or the conference room?" she asked.

"Hmmmm…" Elsie thought for a moment. "Better make it the conference room," she said. "Just in case we need to use the projector or anything else. I have a few ideas planned out, if you want to access the folder on the drive to see what you think, so I may need the projector to go over them with Mr. Carson," Elsie explained. At the mention of his name, Elsie got a warm feeling in the pit of her stomach. A slow smile crept over her lips, one which she quickly tried to erase.

"Sounds good," Anna said. "I'll make sure I have all of the papers I need your signature on ready for when you come in this afternoon. Do you want to go over your preliminary work for the launch later today, so it's ready for your meeting tomorrow?"

"Actually, yes, that would be great," Elsie replied. "Thanks, love. I'll see you in a bit."

* * *

"Beryl!" Becky yelled with as much energy as she could muster, as the feisty woman walked into the room.

"Hello, love," she said in her loud and commanding voice. "I see you're feeling more yourself now," she said as she walked over and gave Becky a big hug. She then bent down to give Elsie a kiss on the cheek.

"And how are you?" she asked Elsie, raising her eyebrow to make her best friend know she wasn't taking anything but the truth for an answer.

"Oh, you know," she waved Beryl away. "Better now that Becky is doing much better."

"You look positively exhausted!" Beryl said. "Your job now is to go home, get some rest, and eat something hearty. I'll take over here with our lovely lass," she said, as she made her way over to Becky again.

"I'm going into work this afternoon," Elsie told Beryl, standing up and stretching. "I have some things to prepare for a big meeting tomorrow," she explained.

"You're not going into that place until you go home and make yourself presentable, I'll tell you that much," Beryl said. Elsie had an offended look on her face in reaction to that comment. "We've been friends long enough for me to tell you that you look like shit," Beryl said, with a smile. "Who wouldn't after being here for a couple days straight? Now, I made you up some food to take with you, and I insist that you eat it straightaway!" Beryl said, turning to Becky and seeing the eager look on her face. "Oh, don't you worry, lass, I brought your favorites, too," she said, giggling.

Elsie walked over to the table, shaking her head with a smirk on her face, and finished packing up her things. She then walked over to Beryl, giving her a huge hug and kissing her on her cheek. "You're a lifesaver, you know? I can't tell you how much I love you," she said, hugging her again, "even when you tell me I look like shit," she finished, laughing.

"Yeah, yeah," Beryl said. "Just go and kick ass," Beryl said. "Show the new guy in town how the Scottish dragon got her name," Beryl laughed.

Elsie snapped her head quickly. "How'd you know I'm working on a new project with the new guy?" Elsie asked.

Beryl looked at Elsie pointedly. "Oh, you know Cora," Beryl answered. "When I was in to go over the menu for her upcoming luncheon that I'm catering, she said she wanted to include some of the new wines from their recent acquisition. She went into how Robert's friend from uni will be heading that part of the company and how they couldn't wait for you two to come up with a marketing plan so they could launch it and let everyone know about it. You know how Robert is about his wine," Beryl laughed. Elsie simply nodded her head, thankful that that is all Beryl knew right now. Had she known anything about Charles Carson, Elsie would be getting the third degree.

After nodding her head and draping her bags over her shoulder, she said, "Well, I must be going to get ahead on that very project," she said. She bent down to give her sister a hug and a kiss, reminding her to rest and take it easy.

"And you promise you'll be in tomorrow?" Becky asked.

"Of course I will, love. Now, don't give Beryl too much trouble!" she said, smirking as she walked out, thankful to her best friend for being there for her, as she always was.

* * *

After she got home and ate some of the soup Beryl had sent, because truthfully, she WAS starving, Elsie went up to her bedroom to take a quick shower and get ready to head into the office. When she saw her reflection in her bathroom mirror, she almost scared herself. Her hair was a disaster, up in a messy bun, and she had bags under her eyes from not sleeping well at all. Not to mention the way her body felt. She was achy all over. Well, she thought, this is going to take a lot more work than I thought. With that, she turned the shower on and got ready for the transformation that had to take place because, lord knows, she wasn't going into work looking the way she did.

* * *

Nearly an hour later, feeling as refreshed as she was ever going to be after barely any sleep, Elsie walked into the reception area of Crawley Enterprises.

"Ms. Hughes!" She heard loudly from the reception desk in the center of the atrium. "It is so good to see you back," Tom Branson yelled. Elsie immediately walked over to the company chauffeur. "Why didn't you phone? I would have been glad to swing around and bring you in," he said genuinely.

"Ah, thanks Tom," she said. "No need, though. I have some errands after here, so I drove myself. How have you been? How's things, with," Elsie glanced around, hoping no one was listening, "you know…?" She asked.

"Perfectly wonderful," Tom answered with a smile on his face. "Ever since you rejected me, I have finally picked my heart back up and she is putting the pieces back together." Elsie laughed heartily at that, shaking her head as she walked over to the elevators. She adored Tom and his sarcastic banter with her, and was very excited for him in regards to his new relationship with Sybil Crawley. She knew he had to tread carefully, but she also knew that he had it in him to fight for the woman he loved, if need be.

"Tell her I say hello," Elsie requested as she walked onto the elevator.

When she exited on her floor, she took a deep breath. It was good to be back to her normal, but she knew that her sense of normal wasn't going to be such by tomorrow, when she had to meet with Mr. Carson. As she was walking down the corridor towards her corner office, she happened to pass the conference room, where a tall, slender, black-haired woman was standing against the doorway, jutting her hip out in such a way to be almost suggestive. Elsie raised her eyebrows in curiosity as she slowed down to see who was in the room. She glanced in as she passed, and none other than Charles Carson was sitting at the table, along with others. The look on his face was positively flustered, and his cheeks were red. She wondered exactly what was going on, but chose to make her way to her office instead.

Anna greeted her right away, taking her coat and her bag.

"It's so good to see you!" Anna said. "This place just isn't the same without you here. Just doesn't seem to run as smoothly, if you know what I mean?"

"I don't, but I thank you just the same," Elsie replied. "It does feel good to get back to some form of normal, I'll tell you that much. How are you, my dear?" She asked Anna.

"Good, good," Anna replied. "How is Becky?" She asked.

"Much better, thanks. Beryl is sitting with her today so I could come in and get some things accomplished and then I'll pop in early tomorrow before I come here." Anna nodded as she followed Elsie into her office, putting her bag on the table. "How is John?" Elsie asked.

"Lovely, actually," Anna replied. "Oh," Anna said, "how long do you think your meeting with Mr. Cat will take tomorrow afternoon?" Anna asked Elsie with a smirk on her face. Elsie's eyes got huge.

"And here I thought you'd forget about that," Elsie replied.

"Not a chance," Anna said. "You know what I think, but I'll not go there right now for two reasons. One: fear of losing my job. Two: we have a lot of work to do." Elsie just gave her a scathing look and shook her head. "So...about tomorrow," Anna said, "John has asked to take me to dinner. It's an anniversary of sorts, so I was wondering if we'd be done by six-ish, so I could make it in time for a 7:30 reservation?"

"Given your previous comment," Elsie began, looking at Anna pointedly as she turned her computer on, "I should say no and work you to the bones," Elsie paused for a moment for effect. "However, you know how happy I am for you and John, so of course you can leave, if we are still working," Elsie replied.

Anna stopped what she was doing immediately and just looked at her a moment. "You feeling okay Elsie? Your name is Elsie Hughes, correct?" Anna asked. "Because the Elsie Hughes I know works until all hours of the night. And especially with a new product, and an afternoon meeting…" Anna continued.

"Okay, okay, I get it," Elsie replied. "You sure are on a roll today, miss smart-ass. Now, tell me who the black-haired woman is who was standing in the conference room doorway. I've never seen her before."

Anna sat down across from Elsie, her own laptop now sitting atop her legs. "Oh, that's Mr. Carson's secretary. Her name is Candace Carroll. Mr. Crawley hired her and she started a couple days ago. I think she has a thing for Mr. Carson," Anna said, looking pointedly at Elsie to gauge her reaction. Elsie was intentionally keeping her eyes on her computer screen, however, trying desperately not to react to that bit of information. God forbid she give Anna any more reasons to continue her harassment of Elsie in regards to the tall, handsome man who was sitting just down the corridor. Candace Carroll? She thought. Well, if that isn't a saccharine name. Elsie immediately did not like the woman.

"Hmmm…" Elsie said. It was time to change the subject. "Alright, what do we need to do to finish our preparations for tomorrow?" She asked. "Did the prototypes come over from the printers for the labels?" She asked Anna.

At that, Elsie dove straight back into work, keeping her mind focused and engaged on the task at hand. She didn't just want to launch this product, she wanted to make it a raging success. It was in her subconscious at this point, but a part of her really did want to impress Charles with her marketing skills. She was trying to push it out of her mind, but every once in awhile, his broad smile came back from her memories, and she wanted to make him smile like that again. She was hoping that her marketing proposal was going to do just that. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, of course; not even herself. However, little did she know or realize that no matter what she proposed to Charles Carson, he was already overly and thoroughly impressed by her.


	6. Chapter 6

_**This is not double-checked, so edits were not done. I apologize for any mistakes, but I wanted to get it out before I went to bed, so that it didn't keep me awake all night. Thank you to those who have stuck with this story...you are the best! I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint! Please let me know what you think.**_

* * *

When Elsie woke, she had completely felt as if she had slept like the dead. After working late and then running a couple errands the night before, she fell into bed and never even moved until her alarm went off at 6am. It had been a long few days of excitement, worry, and a multitude of emotions, and it was evident that it had taken a toll on her given the fact that she slept so well.

She took a few minutes to stretch and to mentally run through her day. She would go check in on Becky and spend a bit of time with her, and then get to the office and review, for probably the hundredth time, her presentation for Mr. Carson. She was proud of what she had come up with and she prayed to God that he would like it. After compartmentalizing everything, she decided to get up and hop on the treadmill for a half hour to get her blood flowing. After being on it for a few minutes, her mind kept drifting to a certain tall, dark someone, so she had to turn the telly on to divert her attention and busy herself with the morning news. Once finished, she popped into the shower and then found herself in her walk-in, seriously contemplating what she should wear for the day.

Seriously? She thought. Since when did she put so much effort into what she wore. She always looked nice, but today she was trying to look extra nice, and it annoyed her. It was as if she had a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other, both arguing over who she traditionally was and who she wanted to be for Charles Carson. "Stop it!" She yelled out loud to no one in particular, shaking her head. Just be you, Elsie! She reprimanded. In the end, she wound up choosing a blue blouse and a pencil black skirt, black tights, and black heels, accompanied by her mother's diamond earrings, which always seemed to bring her luck. After completing her make-up and putting her hair into a chignon, she slipped her mother's ring onto her finger for an extra shot of luck, and she made her way to go visit her sister.

* * *

Elsie breathed a sigh of relief as she walked off the elevator. Becky was doing wonderfully. She couldn't ask for anything more than that, really. Her sister meant so much to her, and knowing that she was progressing so well really helped to ease Elsie's stress. Perhaps telling her about their potential trip to the seaside aided in Becky's determination. If that is what it took, then Elsie would have to work on scheduling a trip every year. She took a deep breath as she moved down the corridor, her eyes solely focused on her office at the end. She would not distract herself with anybody or anything today. She had one main focus, and anything peripheral would not do.

Once she got to the end and saw Anna, she felt a sense of relief. Before even exchanging niceties, Anna simply said, "Coffee or tea?" It was a silly question, really, because Anna knew the answer. However, she was being the perfect personal assistant, as she always was.

"Coffee," Elsie answered. "Double shot of espresso, if you would, love?" She asked, handing Anna her black overcoat.

"Done," Anna said, hanging Elsie's coat on the rack and making her way to the kitchen. Elsie got settled in her office, powering up her computer and organizing her paperwork for the afternoon. Anna walked in a few minutes later with Elsie's coffee and they got to planning for the impending meeting.

When 12:30 came around, Anna stopped Elsie and simply told her, without asking, that it was lunch time. "You need to eat something to sustain you through the afternoon," Anna said pointedly.

"You are correct, my dear," Elsie said, as she looked up from the computer screen. "I will rely on you to choose what we shall have," she said, diving back into her paperwork.

Lunch eaten and everything organized, it was now 2:15, and Elsie and Anna made their way to the conference room, materials in hand. As they entered and began setting up, Candace Carroll came into the room.

"Hello," she said in a non-committal, laissez-faire voice. "I've brought Mr. Carson's materials," she said pointedly, looking directly at Elsie. "He likes tea in the afternoon, so I suggest you get your secretary on that. Oh, and chocolate biscuits are his favorite." Candace smiled arrogantly, moving her gaze to Anna. Elsie wasn't having her attitude.

"I'll have you know," she began, "that Anna is my personal assistant who is also my junior marketing assistant, with the degrees to support it, so you'll have to cater to Mr. Carson yourself. Is that not your job?" Elsie asked, an annoyed tone to her voice.

"Oh, I cater to him, alright," Candace said, not at all deterred by Elsie. "However, he is sending me on some errands this afternoon, so it looks like your Junior Marketing Assistant will have to take care of things," she said, emphasizing her last words and then turning quickly on her heel and walking out of the room briskly, swaying her hips along the way.

Under her breath, Elsie said, "Are you fucking kidding me?" She looked up, realizing Anna had heard her. "Where the hell did Robert find her?" She asked. "And what was he thinking?"

Anna shrugged her shoulders and continued with hooking the computer up to the auxiliary cable that would project the presentation. They really had to update their technology. When she was finished, she said, "No worries, Elsie. I'll go make some tea and grab a tray of biscuits. Any requests?" Elsie shook her head as Anna headed to the kitchen.

Within a minute or two, Charles walked into the conference room, ever the prompt one. Elsie looked up from her notes, catching his gaze immediately. What transpired between them was electric. Charles stopped immediately, and Elsie could not avert her gaze. After a minute, which seemed like longer, Elsie shook her head briefly and said, "Hello, Mr. Carson."

Charles simply smiled softly and said, "Hello, Ms. Hughes." He hesitated a moment and then said, "Surely we can call each other by our first names by now?" He asked.

Elsie thought for a moment and simply nodded her head. Charles sat down at the end of the table, folding his hands atop his portfolio. "How is your sister?" He asked sincerely. "Becky, is it?" Elsie was shocked he knew her name, but remembered her conversation with Robert, which took place within earshot of Charles. When she thought about it, with all that Charles had to do and accomplish this week with getting comfortable in a completely new environment, she had to admit to herself that she was thoroughly impressed with him remembering her sister's name.

Elsie chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, and then ventured to share a tidbit of information. "She's doing much better, thanks," she said, cautiously, moving some papers around and avoiding eye contact.

"I'm glad to hear it," Charles said, doing much the same. Why was it, he wondered, that he felt so flustered around this woman? Days ago, he was completely fluid, moving in perfect rhythm with her, yet know he felt awkward and unsure. He knew they worked well together. They proved it once. Well, more than once, actually. A few times, to be honest. He shook his head a bit, telling himself he needed to focus on work, on the task at hand, and not the gorgeous red head in front of him with the piercing blue eyes. It was so hard to get her soft, pale, freckled skin out of his mind, however. He had been dreaming of it every night since he had the complete pleasure of actually touching it. Just as he was thinking of such, Anna came in to the conference room, bearing a tray with tea and biscuits.

"So," she said, "Are we ready to begin?" She asked.

* * *

The next three and a half hours went by with Elsie and Anna proposing various things to Charles, including label options for the wine bottles, advertisements that would go in the papers and windows of the more prestigious stores that sold wine, and storyboards for commercials and telly advertisements, of which, according to Elsie, would be few and far between, and only on the most prestigious of channels.

"I don't want this to be another 'two buck chuck' she said. This brand, this winery, makes an exceptional wine, and i want to market it as that," she explained.

"I wholeheartedly agree," Charles said. "I wouldn't have worked for this company if I thought otherwise."

"Well, with that in mind," Elsie began, only to be interrupted by Anna…

"I'm so sorry, Els," Anna began, "but can you spare me for the rest?" She asked. "I really must get going if I am going to make that reservation," she said nervously.

"Oh my goodness," Elsie said, rising. "I'm so sorry," Elsie said. "Of course dear," she said, walking over to Anna and embracing her in a hug. "Enjoy yourself and tell John I say hello. And call me tomorrow and tell me how it was," Elsie said, kissing Anna on each cheek.

"I will," Anna said, smiling. "Good night, Mr. Carson," she said, walking out. Charles simply smiled as Anna exited. Elsie sat back down at the table, rifling through her papers.

"Lovely girl, that Anna," Charles said, looking over at Elsie.

"Indeed she is," Elsie replied.

"You two seem very close," Charles observed.

Elsie thought for a moment. She wanted to craft her response in the best way she could. "Anna is remarkable, to say the least," she began. "So bright, intuitive, and just lovely all-around. She's been my assistant for nearly ten years, which is five years too long, to be honest." She stopped for a moment and looked over at Charles. She hesitated a moment, assessing whether or not she could trust him. The soft, caring, and sensitive look in his eyes propelled her along. "When she was in uni, she met Mary, Robert's daughter, I'm sure you know her." Charles merely nodded, figuring he could reveal his association later. "Anna had nothing. Terrible home life, yet a determination to make something of herself. She was very interested in marketing, so Robert introduced her to me. I could tell from the get-go that she had a fire within her that would propel her to greatness. I hired her on the spot." Elsie paused for a moment. "Yes," she said, "I could have made her entry-level. She was still taking her courses, of course, but the fire I saw in that girl reminded me of me, actually, so I had to be selfish and have her to myself," Elsie giggled a bit, and it was music to Charles' ears. He smiled a bit as Elsie continued her story. "So, we worked out a schedule around her classes, and she has been with me ever since. Once she graduated, she was on full time, and she has almost become like a daughter to me, to be honest. She has no family. At least none she is in contact with. She's truly remarkable, Charles. Has a wit and intuition that so many people lack," Elsie said, a soft, reverent look upon her face. "I fear the day she tells me she's moving on. In truth, I hope she takes over for me one day," she said.

Charles took it all in. He knew Elsie was known as the Scottish Dragon. He was warned as such by no more that five people, at least. However, at this moment, he was seeing a kind, generous, and caring woman, who evidently loved others and wanted the best for them.

"I could tell she was spec-" as Charles began to speak, he was cut off by the saccharine voice of his secretary.

"Oh, Mr. Carson," she drawled, "you should not be working yourself so hard," Candace said as she made her way into the conference room, placing her hand on Charles' shoulder. "You should have been long gone by now," she said. "Is the mean Ms. Hughes keeping you after, working you to the bone?" She asked, glancing over to Elsie for a split second, but landing her eyes back on Charles. "Is there anything I can do for you, Mr. Carson?" Candace asked, stressing and elongating the question with a seductive undertone.

Charles was clearly flustered. It wasn't because he was attracted to this woman at all. It was because she was acting this way in front of the woman he wanted to be with. His stomach dropped in an instant, and he tried to evade her touch. "I thought I gave you the afternoon off?" He asked, pointedly.

"Oh," Candace replied. "Well, I forgot something, so I came back to get it. When I realized you were still here, I wanted to make sure that you didn't need anything," she said. "Make sure that you were taken care of," she emphasized the last words intentionally.

Charles cleared his throat and said, "I'm perfectly fine, Ms. Carroll. Please, go and have a nice weekend," he said as he moved his chair to inch away from her.

"Oh, that's Miss, Mr. Carson. Miss Carroll," she said as she made her way to the door, her gaze still intent on him. "And you have a nice weekend yourself," she said, smirking, as she walked away.

There was silence in the room for a few moments after she left, Elsie looking at Charles to assess his reaction to the recent event. The woman was beautiful, Elsie would give her that. Tall, slender, jet-black hair and well-dressed. She must be at least fifteen years tougher, also. Charles caught Elsie looking, and his face turned completely red. She tilted her head towards him in a questioning way.

"It's utterly ridiculous," Charles began. "Can you believe it?" He asked.

Elsie sat still for a moment. "Believe what?" She responded.

Charles huffed in frustration, then began his rant. "The fact that Robert hired THAT woman as my secretary!" He almost yelled. "It's ridiculous. Preposterous," he said. Elsie almost wanted to interject and ask what was so preposterous about it, but she refrained, sensing that Charles needed to vent. "He hires a completely incompetent woman with horrible skills to do the job. She is utterly useless!" He exclaimed.

Elsie waited a moment, but she couldn't help herself. "Oh, I wouldn't call her useless," she said, thinking about why Robert had hired her. "Seems to me Robert had something in mind, and I know it's forward to say it, but it seems like she has the same thing in mind as well," Elsie said, lifting her eyebrow and subsequently biting her bottom lip.

Charles looked aghast for a moment, and then replied. "No thank you," he said. "I know Robert must have good intentions, but that woman makes my stomach turn. She is overly forward, for starters, horrible at getting the tasks done that I ask of her, completely unreliable, and," he hesitated for a moment, "there is nothing about her that does anything for me," he said with finality.

Elsie was still chewing on her lower lip, taking in what Charles had to say. Finally, she said, "Charles, she's gorgeous. She's tall, slender, beautiful, really. And about fifteen years your junior, which has to be something…" Elsie threw out there. In all honestly, Elsie couldn't stand the woman's personality and her condescending nature, but she was beautiful. She assessed Charles' facial expression and waited for him to speak.

He took a deep breath and made eye contact with Elsie. "You must know," he began, "that I simply do not fall for that kind of ridiculous fodder." He waited a moment, making sure he had Elsie's full attention. "No matter who is thrown at me," he said slowly, "I lost my heart a few days ago to a gorgeous, beautiful, stunning, red-headed, Scottish lass who took my breath away and has neglected to return it," he said, sincerely.

Elsie was frozen in place and didn't know what to say or do. It seemed like hours, but was only minutes. Finally, she snapped out of it. "You did?" She asked.

"I did," was his reply.

At this point, Elsie didn't know what to do. Go all in, or put the brakes on, turn and retreat the other way, full speed ahead. Never had she felt this way about another person, and she was completely terrified of it. Should she follow her whim and her heart, or listen to the voice in her head?


	7. Chapter 7

_**Here is the next installment. I think it is safe to say that we are finally getting somewhere. Thank you to everyone for your kind reviews, comments, and encouragement. They truly mean the world to me! Please let me know what you think...**_

* * *

They sat staring at each other for a moment, Elsie trying to conjure up the words for exactly how she wanted to reply, when a loud, gurgling noise cut into the silence. Elsie's eyes got wide and her face started turning red, and Charles was trying so hard not to laugh, but was failing as his shoulders started to shake and a bit of laughter snuck out. Elsie's bottom lip immediately went between her teeth as she thought of how to evade embarrassment.

"It seems to me," Charles began, "that someone is hungry," he said with a smirk on his face. "I have to admit that I am, too," he said, hoping to make Elsie feel better.

"Yes," she said, "but your stomach didn't announce it to the world. I'm terribly embarrassed!" Elsie said, shaking her head back and forth.

Charles wanted to reply that there was no need for her to be embarrassed; that he'd seen her naked (and gloriously so) for goodness sake, but he knew that comment wouldn't fly right now, so he went with the next best thing. "What do you say we continue this meeting over some dinner?" He asked. "I have a few questions of clarification on the marketing pitch, and I think there is more we need to talk about in regards to the other topic." He looked at her imploringly, willing her to say yes.

"Oh because the last time we shared a meal, look how that ended," Elsie said incredulously, with a huff.

Charles stilled, immediately stopping the gathering of papers into a pile in front of him. He looked directly into Elsie's deep, blue eyes. She somehow made it sound as if she thought it was wrong, and to Charles it was so, so right. In a low, even voice, he said, "Was it really that bad?" For him it certainly wasn't. It was heaven, actually. Bliss. So much so he couldn't get her out of his head. He waited with baited breath for her answer, hoping that it was just nervousness that made her say what she had said, and not what she truly felt in her heart.

She looked into his eyes and knew right then that she couldn't lie to him. She merely shook her head briefly, almost unseen, and then dropped her eyes, her stomach growling yet again. She looked back up to Charles and said, "Well, that again." She tried to smirk to bring a bit of humor back into the very tense situation. "Clearly my body needs food. Let's go. I know a wonderful little place just a few blocks over." Charles simply nodded, realizing that it was going to take a lot to break through the tough exterior of Elsie Hughes.

They packed their materials up in silence and when Elsie went to get her coat, Charles came up behind her and helped her into it. His fingertips lightly grazed her neck as he helped her put it on, and the familiar electricity from days ago was felt again by both of them. They stilled for a minute and then Elsie said, "Thank you," quietly, and Charles just nodded. He couldn't help himself, but the scent of her made him speechless. It brought memories flooding back into his mind, and he had to shake his head quickly to focus again. He walked back over to the table to grab his briefcase and then turned to her, not making direct eye contact.

"Shall we," he said, motioning to the door. Elsie preceded him out, and they walked to the elevators, quietly, shoulder to shoulder.

* * *

"Oh, damn!" Elsie said as they walked into the foyer of the office building. That shocked Charles out of his thoughts and he quickly looked over to her.

"What is it?" He asked instantly.

Elsie stopped for a moment, thinking about what she should do. "Tom drove me in today. The traffic was horrible, and I knew it would take a while, so I had him pick me up so I could get some things done in the car. He popped in to see my sister with me and then we came here," she explained. "So, I've no transportation because he is now off duty," she said."Sorry. I completely forgot because I was so caught up in the presentation. I should have called a taxi a while ago. I'll do that now, or, we can walk," she explained.

Charles cut in immediately. "No need," he said, placing his hand on her arm as she went to reach for her phone. "I have my car here," he said, as he placed his hand at the small of her back and guided her towards the door that led to the car park.

Elsie was a bit surprised. She would have thought with Charles just moving here that he wouldn't be settled enough or have the need to drive in the city for work. She simply assumed that he would have been staying in a nearby hotel. She wondered now exactly where he was staying. She daren't ask, and so she let him guide her to his vehicle. And what a nice one it was. Elsie was extremely impressed. As Charles opened the door for her, he noticed her raised eyebrows.

"What is it?" He asked, not understanding what had her so surprised.

Elsie giggled a little and the sound was music to Charles ears. It made his heart do a flip and he told himself that he could spend a lifetime listening to her giggle like that. She shook her head a bit and said, "I never took you as the Range Rover type, Mr. Carson." She slid into the passenger seat and he closed the door.

When he got in, Charles looked over at Elsie. "Now," he began, "what exactly is that supposed to mean?" He asked seriously, wondering exactly what she meant by the comment.

"Nothing. It's a nice surprise, really. I had you pegged for a luxury sedan or some such. Nice to see that you have a bit of an adventurous side," she said, not realizing exactly how that sounded to him and the double entendre it had. She was speaking merely in terms of his vehicle.

"Well," he began, "I"m not sure if that is a compliment or not, but I'll take it nonetheless," he said. "When traveling through the countryside and between vineyards, one needs a vehicle that is conducive to the terrain," Charles explained. "And I'm tall. I like a lot of leg room," he said practically.

 _Mmmmmmm_ , Elsie thought in her head as she briefly glanced over to his long legs. _That you are, Charles Carson, very tall, indeed. What was this man doing to her?_

* * *

When they arrived at the restaurant, after Elsie's careful directions, they were sat immediately at a quaint table near the fireplace. It was quite romantic, really, Elsie thought, had she been here on a date and not a working dinner. When the waiter came over to take their order, Charles looked over to Elsie and asked her, "Would you like me to order us some wine?" Elsie thought for a moment and immediately her mind went back to their chance meeting at the bar and Charles ordering wine for her. She knew that she had no expertise in the matter and simply nodded to him.

However, before he ordered, he looked pointedly at her and asked, "Will you be murdering a burger tonight, or does the lady have some other choice in mind as far as her dinner preference goes?" At first her face began to turn a deep shade of red, but then she merely laughed, and Charles began to laugh right along with her. The waiter stood there looking between the two in confusion, and made a low noise in his throat, letting his customers know he didn't have all night. When they heard it, Charles straightened up and said, "Of course, I'm very sorry," and then looked over to Elsie.

After perusing the menu briefly, she looked up to Charles and said, "Actually, I think tonight, given the fact we've been working for hours and I'm famished, that I could murder a steak," she said with a smirk on her face.

Charles smirked back at her and said to the waiter, "You heard the lady. Red it is. We will take a bottle of the Belle Glos 2015, please." The waiter nodded and walked away.

* * *

Once the wine was poured and dinner was ordered, Elsie wanted to get back to the task at hand and finalize everything for the launch of Owen Mills. She wanted to get everything out there as soon as possible, due to Robert's insistence and excitement, so if they could wrap it all up tonight, then she could come in on Saturday tomorrow and send everything off to the proper channels.

She took her first sip of the wine, and it was heavenly. She closed her eyes and let the wine saturate her mouth as she tasted it completely. When she was done, she opened her eyes, looked right at Charles and said, "How do you do that?" She was amazed that he could look at a list and choose something from it that was wonderful. He truly had a talent.

Charles laughed at her question and shrugged. "Practice, I guess?" He replied.

Elsie wasn't having that answer. "Charles Carson," she began, "that is not practice. That is a true talent. I don't know how you do it," Elsie replied, taking another sip of the delicious wine.

"Well," he began, wondering if he should say what he really wanted to. Oh, sod it, he thought. I have nothing left to lose, besides my pride. "I guess it is one of my many talents," he said sarcastically. At that comment, Elsie pulled her bottom lip into her mouth and began to chew on it. It was a habit Charles was beginning to realize she did when she was nervous or deep in thought.

"I'm sure you do, Mr. Carson, but-"

"Charles," he said, matter-of-factly.

Elsie nodded. "Charles," she said, "Shall we get back to the marketing campaign?" She asked, trying to deter her mind from thinking about his other talents. She was privy to a few of them, she was sure. She admonished herself immediately at that thought, trying desperately to focus on the marketing campaign.

He simply nodded his head for her to continue, so she asked, "What are the questions that you have? What would you like to know?"

Charles organized his thoughts for a moment before speaking, and then asked what was on his mind. "My main question is about your intended audience. Why is it narrowed down to the airline lounges for first class, higher end stores, and the various literature you have chosen to advertise in? Why not advertise more broadly?" He asked.

Elsie didn't even need a moment to think about it before she answered him. "Owen Mills isn't like any every day vineyard, Mr. Car-er-Charles, and we don't want to market it as such. It is an upscale vineyard that produces top quality wine, and we want top quality people to love it and purchase it. This isn't any two-buck-chuck that kids will buy at uni because they can't afford the good stuff, so we need to market it that way. Now, if you wanted to create and produce a wine for that type of customer, then so be it. I'll market it properly, but the wines that Owen Mills currently offers, and the integrity of the vineyard, demands that we advertise to this group of customers," Elsie finished, keeping her eyes on Charles to gauge his response.

He thought for a moment before replying, making her wait just a minute to see whether or not she would get uncomfortable with his silence. Of course she didn't, sitting up straight and waiting for his response, not wavering or faltering one bit. He didn't expect any less from Elspeth Hughes. He knew she was a woman of her convictions, and she was proving it now, waiting on him to respond to her grand plan.

"Well, you certainly have done your homework," Charles said. "Although I wouldn't expect anything less," he said, lifting up his wine glass. "A toast."

Elsie looked at him questioningly, then lifted up her own wine glass and then asked, "And what are we toasting to, exactly?"

"Two things, actually," Charles replied. "Number one, to the most brilliant marketing plan I've ever seen, and the woman who created it, and two, to the continuation of our friendship and again, you allowing me more of your time," Charles said, a hopeful look in his eyes.

"Well, we can discuss that later," Elsie said. "Are you sure you like the marketing pitch?" She questioned. "I will go ahead with everything tomorrow, as long as you give me the approval," she said.

"I'm giving you the go-ahead," Charles replied. "You really are brilliant, Elsie."

Elsie blushed at his comment, but then put her glass down and fished a few papers out of her bag. "Well then, if you are in agreement, I need you to sign these few documents," she said. Charles shook his head a bit, realizing he wasn't going to get anywhere with Elsie until the task at hand was complete. He took a pen from his inner coat pocket and signed where Elsie directed him to. When he was finished, she collected the papers and placed them back into her bag, and then proceeded to pick up her glass and say, "Cheers, Charles, on the first part of your toast, at least."

Charles looked into her deep blue eyes and said, "And, to many more campaigns of working together, hopefully." Elsie blushed, but nodded, and clinked her glass with his, both of them taking large sips of their wine.

When they put their glasses down, Charles ventured to ask, "So, since the business part is done, I would like to discuss some personal matters." He looked deeply into Elsie's eyes, trying to show her what was held within his: honesty, adoration, desire, trust.

Elsie hesitated a moment, something she wasn't used to. She always knew her mind and knew what to say and when. She was never flustered. However, at this moment, she was at a loss. "I don't know what you want me to say, Charles," she said. "I simply can't see this working. We are now colleagues, which is definitely a major no-no. Business and pleasure, and all that. You know what I mean," she explained, seeing the frustration in his eyes.

"Do me a favor," Charles began. "Imagine, if you will, for a moment, that we didn't work together," Charles said, flailing his hands in front of him. It was clear to Elsie that he was passionate about what he was saying by his actions. Elsie tried to interrupt, to tell him that it wasn't reality, but he stopped her. "No, no, please. Just indulge me for a moment." Elsie nodded and took another sip from her wine. "Think about the other night, Elsie. Think about the connection that we had, that drew us together. I know you feel it, too. I know you felt it tonight when I helped you with your coat. You can't deny there is something between us, pulling us together." He stopped for a minute and again looked deeply into her eyes. "If that were the case, would you give it a go? Would you give us a go?" He asked her sincerely.

Elsie hesitated for a moment, trying to figure out just what she wanted to say. Yes, there was a strong connection between them. There was no doubt about that. And yes, there was a part of her that longed to feel his hands on her again, his strong arms wrapped around her, his lips trailing down her...NO! She couldn't let that infiltrate her rational thought. The fact was, she had a busy, complicated life, and she dedicated herself to her work and to her sister. How was she going to let someone else in?

"The fact is, that isn't the case," Elsie said, pointedly.

"Elsie," Charles said, "Please. It's a simple question. If we weren't working together, could you possibly see an 'us'?" He asked again.

Elsie took a deep breath before responding. She was going to have to be honest and just tell him. "Charles, I live a busy, complicated life. I work very hard, all the time, and I have a younger sister who, without going into incredible detail, I have to make sure is taken care of. I had a previous relationship that was, oh, how do I put this…" she hesitated for a moment, trying to figure out how to explain her relationship with Joe. "It was, well, one-sided, really. Selfish, on his part. And I promised myself I'd never have that again. I'd never let myself get sucked into something like that again. Not to mention, as I said, I work all the time, so, my time is limited." She took her glass of wine and finished it off, just as the waiter brought their food. Charles reached for the wine bottle and poured her a liberal amount of wine. He nodded to the waiter, who retreated immediately.

Charles had a smirk on his face and it was baffling Elsie. She basically just told him no, yet he was smirking. She couldn't figure it out, so she looked at him questioningly. "First of all, Elsie," Charles began, "let us not forget who pulled whom into their hotel room," he said, Elsie turning a bright shade of red as he remembered how forward she had been that night. "So, clearly, you desired some kind of intimacy. Therefore," he said, taking a bite of his steak, "mmmmm...this is very good," he digressed. "You should eat yours before it gets cold." At that, Elsie began cutting her steak. She could see already that Charles Carson was a very determined man. She was going to have to hear him out. "Secondly, I understand all there is to know about a one-sided relationship, as I had one of my own, and I can assure you, I was not the selfish one. I know exactly how that feels, Elsie, and I promise you, I am not that kind of man. The opposite, in fact. I see in front of me a brilliant, tenacious, beautiful, sophisticated woman and I would make you feel all of those things and more, if you'd only give me a chance to do so." He paused for a moment, making sure he had Elsie's attention, which he did. She was staring at him, assessing whether she should believe him or not. She didn't have good experiences with men meaning what they said, but for some reason, she thought she could trust Charles Carson.

He continued. "Lastly, as far as work goes, I can assure you, Robert would be very happy if we started seeing each other. He has a strong affinity and loyalty to you, as he and Cora have both told me numerous times, and he does the same for me. We are best friends. I'm the Godfather of his oldest daughter, for goodness sake. He's never going to sack you, and he certainly isn't going to sack me. And to be honest, I truly think that we can be even more of a powerhouse working together, so there you have it," Charles finished, picking up his glass of wine and taking a sip with ease, as if what he just said was the easiest thing in the world to talk about.

For Elsie, this wasn't easy at all. She wasn't good at sharing her feelings. She was an amazing sister and friend, always there for those who needed her, but when it came to her own feelings, she rarely let them out. She was biting her lower lip, something Charles knew was going to become a major turn-on for him. He knew she was both nervous and concentrating hard on what she wanted to say. "So, you have this all figured out then, do you?" She asked.

That threw Charles. He wasn't expecting the sarcasm. He was expecting another argument as to why they shouldn't be together. "Well, I think I have, yes," he said confidently. Just as Elsie was going to reply, her phone rang. She fished it out of her pocket to see who was calling.

"I'm so sorry," she said. "I have to take this." Charles nodded as Elsie got up and walked away from the table. He watched her across the restaurant on the phone. He felt a tightening in his abdomen as he looked at her. God, she was beautiful. He couldn't stop staring at her. Aside from that, however, was her fiery personality that he couldn't get enough of. He loved her determined nature, her no-nonsense attitude, and the fact that she was so dedicated to those who were close to her. Loyalty was hard to find these days, and it appeared to him that Elsie Hughes was one of the most loyal persons he had met. As he was entertaining what that quality could mean in a relationship, she came walking back to the table with a huge smile on her face.

"Good news?" Charles asked as she sat back down and placed her napkin back on her lap.

"Incredible!" She said excitedly. "That was Anna. John has just asked her to marry him!" Elsie said excitedly. Charles saw a sparkle in Elsie's eyes as she shared her excitement with him.

"That's wonderful!" He said. "And who is this John?" He asked.

"Oh, you know him," Elsie explained. "John Bates, the vice-president of Grantham Enterprises."

"Really?" Charles asked, an intent look on his face. Elsie simply nodded, and then the penny dropped. "A-ha." Charles said. "I see now that you realize that your argument about working together is null and void, or at least the idea that you think Robert will be concerned about it is," Charles said assuredly. Deep inside, he felt a sense of victory. If John was allowed to marry Elsie's personally assistant, Robert should have no problems with Charles trying to court Elsie.

"Well, I, uh-" Elsie tried to come up with a counter argument, but she simply couldn't. Instead, she took another sip of her wine.

"A toast," Charles said, raising his glass, "to Anna and John." Elsie couldn't resist a toast to Anna, so she raised her glass and repeated, "to Anna and John." She then took a deep gulp of wine, wondering now how she was going to work through this.

"Now, as happy as I am for them," Charles began, "I'd like to get back to the matter at hand," he said. Elsie was not used to someone else running the conversation, being in charge, so to speak. However, she had to admit that she liked his persistence and his tenacity. And she did feel a bit flattered that the subject matter was her. She wasn't used to that, either. "Okay, I am going to ask you a few questions, and I would like you to simply answer with 'yes' or 'no'," Charles said. "Are you willing?" He asked. Elsie took a deep breath.

"What the hell," she said, pushing her plate way, taking another sip of wine, and crossing her arms in front of her, preparing for the onslaught. "Fire away."

"Elsie Hughes, did you pull me into your hotel room days ago to have your way with me?" Elsie's eyes got big and her eyebrows shot up. She could see he wasn't going to be shy about it. He sat across from her, a smirk on his face.

"Yes," she answered. Charles was visibly satisfied.

"Elsie Hughes, do you feel the connection between us when we are near each other, and especially when we touch?" He asked intently, not taking his eyes away from hers.

Elsie could feel her face get red as she thought about the warmth she felt when her skin touched Charles'. Her answer was nearly a whisper. "Yes." She took her hand and rubbed the back of her neck. Charles could see that he was making her flustered. Something, according to others, Elsie Hughes never was. She took her bottom lip into her mouth and he got that feeling in his stomach again, his heart doing a flip.

He proceeded with his last question. "Elsie Hughes, I know that we don't know a lot about each other, but what I know so far is that I am dying to get to know you better. To see more of you. To date you. To learn about you, what you like, what you don't, what your passions are. I can't get you out of my head. Ever since the other night, you're all I think about. Would you please do me the honor of allowing me to take you out on a proper date tomorrow?" He asked sincerely.

Elsie was surprised by that. She didn't expect him to ask her out on a date. She didn't expect any of this, really. Going from a fantastic shag to possibly dating the tall, dark, handsome stranger? Who would have thought. She had to give in. She had to stop fighting her inner demons who were trying to impede her happiness.

"Charles," she began, but he wasn't having it.

"Ah, ah, ah," he said, "It is a yes or no question. It's as simple as that," he waited patiently for her answer, silently willing her to say 'yes.'

She simply nodded her head, and he wasn't sure he was seeing it right. He tilted his head toward her, waiting for her verbal answer.

"Yes," she said, with a slight smile on her lips.

"Yes?" Charles asked, almost surprised by her answer and actually expecting to have to do more convincing to get her to agree to this question.

"Yes, Mr. Carson. I will allow you to take me out on a proper date tomorrow." She smiled, genuinely happy at the joy she clearly gave him. He was so excited he reached across the table, took her hands in his and kissed the back of each one.

"Thank you," he said. "I promise you, Elsie, that you will not regret your answer." He squeezed her hands and smiled brightly.

* * *

"So," Charles said, as he watched Elsie unlock the door to her flat. When she had it unlocked, she turned back around to face him.

"So," Elsie replied, waiting for Charles to continue. She looked up into his eyes, seeing the sincerity there. She was nervous about opening herself up to someone else. About the possibility of being hurt. However, at this moment, all she saw in those deep, dark eyes was kindness and adoration. She was looking forward to getting to know him better.

"How is six o'clock tomorrow?" He asked. "I have an idea, and I think you'll like it," he said excitedly.

"Six o'clock is perfect. I'll see you then," Elsie said. Charles leaned down and placed a soft kiss to her cheek before turning around and walking back to his car. Elsie waited until he got in and waved as he drove away.

 _What the heck has gotten into you, Elsie Hughes, she asked herself. She knew the answer: Charles Carson. Charles Carson had gotten into her...into her mind, her body, her thoughts, her life, and now, her heart. She was nervous, but at this moment, the excitement she felt far outweighed the nervousness._


	8. Chapter 8

_**Here is the next chapter. I had a lot of time to write today, so I figured I would combine my ideas. I was going to break this into two chapters, but then I thought, why?**_

 ** _I can't thank you enough for all of the awesome reviews. They mean the world to me. Right now, at the beginning, it is mostly fluff for our lovely Chelsie. I definitely have a plan for these goofballs, so we are on our way into the storyline now. I hope you like where this is going. I was going to wait for what is about to come, but I thought, why prolong it? You'll see what I mean. Please let me know what you think._**

 ** _For some reason, the whole time I was writing this chapter, Ed Sheeran's "The Shape of You" kept going through my head. I know it isn't something Charles or Elsie would jam to, but it reminded me of these two in this story. Go and give it a listen...it's a little funky, but I think it fits. And if you know me, you know I love music and I always have a song for everything, so here you go._**

* * *

It wasn't that she didn't sleep last night. It was that dreams of Charles Carson and his deep voice and gentle hands kept waking her up. She'd wake with a soft smile on her face that would quickly disappear when she realized why it was there. She was frustrated and annoyed because no one had ever affected her like this. It was maddening. Elsie liked to be in control, and Charles Carson's presence in her life was clearly making her lose a bit of control, and she wasn't really sure how to take it.

When she was awoken again around six, she gave up on any restful sleep and decided to get going with her day. Even though it was Saturday, she wanted to get the major details of the Owen Mills marketing campaign squared away, so she brewed a cup of strong coffee and sat out on her patio in the garden, laptop and work bag on hand, and got to work with the particulars. By nine o'clock she had most of the e-mails sent to the vendors who would produce the marketing materials and she had uploaded and logged the papers that Charles had signed the previous night. When she did, she took a look at his signature. She liked his handwriting immediately. It was almost classic, really, not like the usual chicken scratch that came from a man. She thought a person's signature told a lot about him or her, and Charles Carson's signature told her that he was proud, organized, and, dare she think it, passionate. Just as she started to think about him, her phone began to ring.

She glanced at the screen and saw that it was Anna. "Hello, love," Elsie answered.

"Hi!" Anna said excitedly.

"And how is your first morning as an engaged woman?" Elsie asked. "And, more importantly, why are you calling me this early when you should be snuggled in bed with your fiancé?"

Anna laughed outwardly at that comment. "It's glorious," Anna said. "And, truth be told, I'm still in bed," she said. Elsie smiled at that comment.

"I think that is too much information, Anna," she said.

"Good morning Elsie," she heard John say in the background.

"Seriously," Elsie said. "I'll never understand you young ones, so outward with your intimate lives," she commented, shaking her head.

"Well," Anna said, "perhaps you need to be more forthcoming with yours, huh?" She asked. "In regards to a certain tall, dark and handsome not-so-stranger anymore," Anna commented.

"Hey, hey, hey," she heard John's voice in the background. "No talking about any other handsome blokes while I'm in earshot," he said, laughing. Anna giggled at his comment and Elsie proceeded.

"Seriously, why are you calling me, anyway. You should be celebrating still. I am so happy for you, my dear," Elsie said.

"Thank you. That means the world to me. To us," Anna replied. "But, the reason I'm calling is because I was so excited about last night that I never asked you how things ended up with Mr. Carson," she said.

Elsie replied right away. "They went exceptionally well, thanks to our excellent teamwork, I'll say that much. I couldn't have done it without you," Elsie said endearingly. "I've already got most of the materials sent out to the proper vendors, so by Tuesday we should have everything we need in place for the launch," Elsie explained.

"Wow!" Anna proclaimed. "You've been busy this morning, then. I'm sad to say it, I don't mind admitting," she said.

Elsie was confused. "What is that supposed to mean?" She asked. "Less work for you to do on Monday, and hopefully now we'll get things ahead of schedule," Elsie replied.

"Well," Anna began, "I'm sad that you weren't otherwise occupied last night or this morning by a certain somebody," she said, giggling.

"Anna Smith!" Elsie raised her voice. "You cheeky thing, you. I'll pretend I didn't hear that and let you keep your bonus for this project!" Elsie said. "Now, stop talking to me and get back to your fiancé, or else I'll have you over here and put you to work!"

"Fair enough, Elsie. Fair enough. But just so you know," Anna said, "a little bit of loving goes a long way," she said, laughing as she hung up.

"Hmpf!" Elsie said as she slammed the phone down on the table. Anna was certainly being very cheeky, however, Elsie thought, she could be very, very right.

* * *

She had been through no less than four outfit changes and she still had no idea what to wear. Charles had called her earlier in the day to confirm that he was picking her up at six o'clock and he had said that she should dress comfortably and casually, in layers, and to be sure to bring a jacket as they would be outside for the majority of the time. He would give nothing away as to the nature of their date, and Elsie was annoyed, moreso at herself for caring so much about how she looked.

Eventually, she decided on a pair of dark, fitted jeans, a soft, cashmere v-neck jumper, a white scarf with gold piping throughout, and a simple pair of gold hoop earrings. She topped it off with her favorite black leather jacket that was light enough for a cool evening, and she slipped on her black ankle boots. When she looked in the mirror to assess herself, she wondered whether or not she should put her hair up. She eventually decided against it, put a bit of gloss on her lips, took a deep breath, and went downstairs to await Charles' arrival.

At exactly six o'clock, her doorbell rang and she went to answer it. When she opened the door, Charles stood in front of her holding a small potted plant. Elsie couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Hello, Charles," she said, eyeing the plant cautiously.

"Good evening, Elsie," he said. She backed away, opening the door wider, and invited him in.

"Please," she said," come on through. I just have to grab my purse and then I'll be all set," she said as she led him down the corridor to the kitchen. Charles glanced around as he followed her, taking note of her decorating style. It was very classic, yet comfortable. She had warm tones throughout the house, and Charles took note of her clear affinity for teapots as there were a variety of them up on a shelf in her kitchen.

As Elsie grabbed her purse from the countertop, she turned around to face Charles. He was speechless for a moment and when he came to his senses, he said, "You're beautiful, Elsie." Elsie blushed at his comment, looking down at her feet after he said it.

"Thank you," she said, looking back into his eyes. When she did, her stomach did the familiar flip that happened when she had done so previously. They stared at each other for a moment, before Elsie said, "Do you make it a habit of carrying potted plants around?" She had a smirk on her face as she said it.

Charles was clearly flustered. "Oh, um, this," he said. "I brought this for you. For our first date," he said, handing the plant over to Elsie. She took it and examined it. It was in a very nice ceramic yellow pot that had an intricate design that circled around the base. The flowers on the plant were a gorgeous burgundy color, with yellow centers. Elsie had to admit that it was a gorgeous plant. Charles saw Elsie eyeing the plant, and further explained his reasoning. "Well," he said, "I thought about just flowers, however, they will die within a few days. So, I thought I would bring you a plant, which can last for a very long time with the proper care, so it could remind you of, what I hope to be, a very nice time." Elsie smiled at this and put the plant on the countertop.

"Do you know what kind of plant it is?" She asked, having no idea. All she knew was that it was gorgeous.

"I do, actually. I chose this one for a reason," he explained. "It is an Argyranthemum, otherwise known as a Marguerite Daisy," he said. "This particular one is the Angelic Giant Burgundy, and it represents purity, loyal love, beauty, patience and simplicity. I hope, in time, Elsie, that you will see that I am a very loyal and patient man. That is, of course, if I pass the test of the first date," he finished with a smile.

Elsie giggled at that, smiling back at Charles. "It is very thoughtful of you, Charles," Elsie said as she stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, I love it," she said, stepping back and grabbing her purse. Charles had a giant grin on his face. He was extremely happy with how much Elsie liked his gesture. "Shall we," she said, and Charles nodded, following Elsie out of her flat.

Once in his car, Elsie was extremely curious as to where they were going. She could smell something delicious and she turned to the back to see a hamper that must be filled with food. "So," she said looking back at Charles, "are you going to tell me where we are going?" She noticed the smirk on his face, which already gave her his answer.

"My lips are sealed," he said, looking over at her briefly and secretly loving the fact that she seemed slightly annoyed. He knew, based on what others had told him, that it took a lot to unnerve Elsie Hughes, and the fact that he could do it so easily gave him a bit of satisfaction. It meant that she was losing her guard a little bit, and that had to be a good thing, he surmised. Hopefully, he thought, that meant she would start opening up a bit and let him into her life.

Conversation was light for the nearly twenty minute drive, and Elsie was thoroughly confused as Charles pulled into a place called Chiswick Moorings, a marina that was filled with boats. She looked over at Charles, and as he parked his car, he noticed the look on her face. "Oh, dear God," he said, "please don't tell me you get sea sick?" He asked, a worried look on his face. "I never even thought," he said.

Elsie did not hesitate when she saw the worried look on his face. "As luck would have it, I do not," she said, noticing his instant relief. "But pray tell, what exactly are we doing here?" She asked.

"Well," Charles began, "I thought about the theatre, or perhaps the cinema," he began, "but the intention of this date is for us to get to know more about each other, so those wouldn't do for conversation. We've already shared dinner at a restaurant, so I thought this would be a better venue, quieter, give us the ability to talk more. I got a hamper from that wonderful little restaurant that caters so many of the events for Robert. He told me about it. Fiery little redhead who runs the place, but boy does she know her stuff," he said. "Do you know the place?" He asked her.

Elsie couldn't help but burst out laughing. "What on Earth is so funny?" Charles asked, having no clue why Elsie was laughing.

"Do I know the place?" Elsie asked, taking a deep breath and trying not to laugh. "I practically live on that food," she explained, laughing again. "That fiery red-head who you met is none other than Beryl Mason, my very best friend," she said. At that revelation, Charles merely nodded his head, seeming a little deflated. "What is it?" Elsie asked.

"And here I thought I was doing something different," he said.

Elsie could sense his disappointment and reached her hand out and placed it on his arm. "You misunderstand me, Charles," she said. "This is a wonderful idea. Exciting, actually. I can't tell you the last time I've been on a boat, to be honest. And," she continued, "the fact that you brought along Beryl's food is wonderful and very comforting. Did she try to grill you about every last detail of your date?" She asked. "Because I would expect nothing less from her, to tell you the truth."

It was Charles' turn to laugh. "That she did," he said, smiling again. "I can see why the two of you are friends, and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible," he said, looking over at her so that she could sense his sincerity.

Elsie simply smiled and nodded in return, and then surprised herself by saying, "She has been there for me whenever I have needed her. She may seem over-the-top at first, but she has the biggest heart of anyone I know," she explained. It was

Charles' turn to nod in understanding.

"Well, shall we?" He said, motioning towards the docks. Elsie was truly intrigued by what he had planned. She took her seatbelt off and made to get out of the car, but Charles beat her to opening her door. She slipped out, a smile on her face, saying thank you again to this very kind, chivalrous man. Charles reached into the back and grabbed the hamper. Once he had the car locked up, he took Elsie's hand gently within his and led her over to the docks, walking carefully down to one of the boats on the end. When he stopped behind one of the boats, Elsie couldn't help showing her surprise on her face. In front of them as a very large boat, one that could easily be lived upon for a weekend or some such.

Charles looked at Elsie sheepishly. "So," he began, "what do you think?" He asked.

Elsie looked from Charles' face back to the boat, and up to Charles again. "I think," she began, "that it's marvelous. Is it yours?" She asked.

"It is," Charles answered. "Please, let me help you on," he said, giving Elsie his hand.

* * *

After giving Elsie a tour of the boat and showing her the small kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom, he showed her back up to the deck. "I was thinking that we might troll out a ways and then drift for a bit while we eat, unless you're hungry now?"

Elsie shook her head. "No, that sounds perfect. This is really lovely, Charles," she replied, putting her hand on his shoulder and rubbing it softly for a moment. Charles smiled softly and then excused himself for a moment, coming back up the stairs a minute later with a bottle of wine and two glasses. He poured the white wine into both glasses and then turned and handed one to Elsie. "To our official first date," he said, holding his glass up.

"Cheers," Elsie said, clinking her glass with his and taking a sip. "Oooooh...this is nice," she said. "As if I'd expect anything but," she said, smiling.

Charles smiled back to her and then put his glass in a holder, turned the engine on, and readied the boat for take off. He unhooked the ropes and placed them inside the boat. "Could I ask you to do me a favor?" He asked Elsie.

"Of course," she replied.

"Could you pull the bumpers in when I pull away from the dock?" Elsie nodded and walked further back to do as she was asked. When Charles carefully eased the boat away from the dock, Elsie leaned down to pull the bumper in, and she placed it in the cabinet area where it went. She walked back up next to Charles and stood beside him as he pulled the boat out onto the river. After a couple minutes of navigating, and once they were in more open water, he asked Elsie to take the wheel. Her eyes got big and there was a nervous look on her face. "No need to worry," he said. "Just stay straight. I won't be but a minute." She nodded and stepped in front of him. "Just put your hands here, and here," he instructed, placing his much larger hands over hers. Again, that instant pull in her belly when he touched her happened, and she took a deep breath. Charles could feel the electricity as he stood behind her, not wanting to take his hands off of her. He stood there for another moment, feigning that he was making sure she was steady, before leaning down and placing a soft kiss to her left cheek. "Be right back," he said. Elsie smiled inwardly, enjoying his sweet attention.

Elsie watched Charles climb up the ladder to the top of the cuddy and walk to the bow of the boat. She couldn't help but notice how the view of his behind looked in his dark jeans. She rather liked seeing Charles dressed casually. His boat shoes, mixed with a blue jumper and his jeans was surprisingly handsome on him. He crouched down and looked back at her for a moment, and Elsie knew she was caught out, staring as she was at his backside. Her cheeks flushed as Charles merely smirked at her and turned back to his task. He reached forward to pull the other bumper at the front of the boat in, placed it in its cabinet, and then turned back to make his way down to Elsie. "Thank you," he said, placing his arms back on the steering wheel, next to hers. But Elsie didn't move. After a moment, he looked down at her and she looked back up at him.

"What?" She asked. "I rather like driving this thing," she said, and Charles merely laughed at her, taking his hands off the wheel and placing them on her waist instead.

"Well, then, beyond all means," he replied, enjoying the closeness between them. Where he was standing, he was able to feel her warmth, and smell the delicious scent that screamed 'Elsie' to him. It was a sweet mixture of what he thought was lavender and a sweet lemon. It was intoxicating. After a few more minutes, Charles leaned down and slowed the motor. "I think this spot will do, don't you?", he asked. Elsie nodded her head and Charles cut the engine. He climbed back up to the bow and pulled out an anchor, dropping it down into the water. Elsie was extremely impressed, and, even though she didn't want to admit it, a bit turned on by his knowledge and expertise with the nautical tasks. He climbed back down and walked over to her.

He took her hand and guided her to the back of the boat, encouraging her to sit down as he pulled out a tablecloth and put it over the table. He then proceeded to take out the offerings that Beryl had packed in the hamper for them. It was almost as if Beryl had known it was Elsie whom Charles was taking out. So many of her favorites were laid in front of her. She simply smiled at Charles once he finished. He walked over to grab the bottle of wine and replenished both of their glasses before he sat down next to Elsie. "You're going to love her food," Elsie said, handing Charles a plate. "She has included some of my absolute favorites here," she said excitedly.

As they filled their plates and began eating, there was cordial small talk between them as they started to learn more about each other. Charles told Elsie all about how he and Robert had met at uni, and how he basically saved Robert from flunking out of the course they were in together. Robert had invited him to his family home over one of their breaks as a thank you, and they had been friends ever since. He relayed stories of some shenanigans they had gotten into as young lads, but that soon ended once Robert met Cora.

Elsie enjoyed hearing about Charles' younger years, imagining him as a striking young co-ed with all the girls falling at his feet. She said as much and he raised his very prominent eyebrows, responding, "Surely not!" He laughed it off and then asked her about her early life in Scotland.

She told him all about growing up on the farm and how wonderful it was as a young girl, but how she wanted more out of life. She was very close with her mother and sister, and it was tough to leave to go away to school, but she knew that if she didn't take the opportunity when she did, she would have never left, and would have been relegated to farm life forever. She explained how she loved Scotland, how she wanted to go back for a visit some day, but now England was her home.

"And your sister?" Charles asked hesitantly. "Will you tell me about her?" He was very patient in waiting for a reply, obviously sensing a little reluctance on Elsie's part. She reached for the bottle of wine and poured a bit more into her glass, and then finished it off by pouring the rest into his. She gathered their empty dishes and took a minute wrapping things up, then handed Charles his glass as she sat back down next to him, bringing her legs up onto the bench.

"Her name is Becky, as you know," she began. Charles nodded, telling himself that he wouldn'tinterrupt. He'd let her go at her own pace. "She was born when I was five, during a horrible snowstorm." Elsie looked up to Charles face, to gauge his level of interest. She saw nothing but kindness and patience in his eyes. For some reason, a little voice in the back of her head whispered to her to trust him. He wasn't the type of man who would cut and run over a bit of difficulty. That should have already been obvious to her based on his clear dedication to wanting to explore things with her. Realizing this, she continued. "The weather was too harsh for anyone to go anywhere, so Da nor I could go fetch the doctor. My Mam couldn't hold off any longer, and so my Da and I had to assist her in her labor. Da was used to it with the animals, so it wasn't too bad, really, until Becky's head started to emerge, but she wouldn't come out. Da soon realized, based on her color, that there was something wrong." Elsie paused for a moment, remembering the event as if it happened just yesterday. Tears pooled in her eyes and Charles reached his arm around her shoulder and began to rub small circles on her back.

Elsie had forgotten how nice it was to be comforted by someone else. She was always the one doing the comforting, and this was a welcome change, even though it was hard for her to admit it. She looked up at Charles for a minute and was calmed by the soft look in his eyes. She realized he wasn't going to press her, and was waiting for her to continue on her own time, which she did. "It was the umbilical cord," she said. "Da was smart enough to cut it to allow her to come out, but it was around her neck too long." Elsie paused for a moment, catching her breath and preparing herself for the rest of the story. "She has cerebral palsy, which has posed numerous difficulties throughout her life," Elsie explained. "Da blamed himself, even though the doctor told him there was nothing he could have done. The doctor even praised him, explaining that the only reason Becky lived was because of his quick thinking, but my Da was never the same. He loved Becky, don't get me wrong. Loved us all, but he was never the same overly jolly man that he always was. It was as if he lost a part of himself that day. Mam took care of her for the longest time. We adored Becky. I still do. She is the kindest, sweetest person you would ever meet," Elsie smiled as she talked about her sister. "When Mam died eight years ago, I became Becky's sole carer," she finished, looking up at Charles to assess his reaction. This was something big. Many men would be scared off by something such as this, which is why Elsie didn't really date. She had to be available if Becky needed her, much like earlier in the week. She knew it was a lot.

"And how is she now?" Charles asked sincerely.

"As far as her health, or demeanor?" Elsie asked.

"Both," Charles said.

"She gets a lot of lung infections," Elsie explained. "It's common for people with CP. This last one was rough. The problem is that she hates wearing an oxygen mask." Elsie paused for a moment, almost ready to divulge the rest. "When we were younger, kids would pick on her because she was different. She doesn't walk normally, as you can imagine, and her speech is a bit tough to understand." She looked up to Charles, who nodded in understanding. "Once, when she was about six, during recess at school, a couple boys held her down and covered up her mouth, making it hard for her to breathe. I was talking to my teacher, so I wasn't out in the schoolyard right away. When I came out, I couldn't find her, and I went running around, calling for her. When I got to the side of the school yard, I saw three boys running from behind a big ash tree, and that is where I found Becky, crying in a ball on the ground, gasping for breath. Ever since then, she hates anything on or over her face," Elsie explained.

"Those no-good, disgusting, horrible excuses for human beings!" Charles yelled in his booming voice. "I could kill them right now!" Elsie jumped a bit at his reaction, but looked up at him, realizing he was completely sincere in his anger. It made her heart skip a beat.

"Believe me, I tried," Elsie explained. "Got in trouble for it, too. Gave two of them black eyes and the other one, well, I'm not sure about any future children he tried to have," she said, smirking.

Charles had to smile at that. He was imagining an eleven year old Elsie, with her fiery personality, standing up for her sister. He giggled a bit. "What is it?" Elsie asked.

"I bet you were absolutely adorable when you were younger," Charles said. "I was just imagining you as a young girl, giving those boys the what-for," he said.

"I gave them more than that, that's for sure!" Elsie said. "It's one thing to hurt another person, but when that person is essentially defenseless, well, they had it coming and then some. My punishment wasn't too horrible, to be honest. The headmaster pretty much agreed with me, but couldn't condone my physical violence. I can't let her be scared like that again, Charles. It was horrible. Ever since then, I have been her protector when my Mam wasn't around. Now, when she gets sick, it takes me and my presence to calm her and be with her so that she keeps her mask on so that she can heal faster." She looked directly into his eyes. "That's what I mean about a complicated life, Charles. When she needs me, I must go. I am all she has, really. There's Beryl and Anna, of course, but when it comes to things like that, it's me she needs. So, I hate to say it, but regardless of any situation, when Becky isn't well, I have to be with her." She paused for a moment. "I don't really date, Charles, because I know no one wants to seem like second best, and unfortunately, at times, my sister has to be my number one. Robert is extremely understanding and lets me work remotely when I have to, but every few months, that's the case, not to mention a few times a week popping in to see her. So, that's that. That's Becky, in a nutshell."

Charles waited a moment and then leaned down to kiss the top of Elsie's head. "When do I get to meet her?," he asked. Elsie's head shot up immediately and she looked deep into Charles' eyes.

"You mean that didn't deter you?" She asked. Charles shook his head. "Charles, I basically just told you that you can't always be number one in my life, as it should be, and yet you still want to pursue this?" Elsie was shocked and confused. She turned more towards him on the bench to really get a look at his face. Charles took her hands into his and looked directly into her eyes.

"Elsie," he said. "When in a relationship, two people become a team. And, if you choose to continue this with me, to get to know me, and perhaps, over time, to allow me to meet your sister, I will be your teammate. Pending she likes me, of course. But as your teammate, I will work with you and help you with whatever is needed. As long as I can be number one once in awhile, when Becky is doing well, then I'm okay with that. We aren't young teenagers who are selfish. I've learned a lot over the years, and with what I've learned and what I know, I realize that the woman right in front of me is not worth letting go simply because she has a younger sister who needs her. What that tells me, Elsie, is that you are a kind, loyal, dedicated and loving woman whom I would be a fool to pass up. Not to mention ridiculously gorgeous," he said, sincerely. "All of these qualities make me want to be with you even more," he explained.

Elsie had to take a moment to let his words sink in and then she leaned up and placed her lips upon his, very softly and chastely. "Oh, you are a dear, dear man," she said, leaning back and looking at him.

Charles smiled at her. "Does that mean you fancy me a little bit?", he asked. Elsie laughed heartily at that, smiling wide. Charles' stomach did a flip when he saw her gorgeous smile. He wasn't sure he'd ever seen her smile so big before, and he loved that he was the one putting that smile on her face.

She nodded her head. "Yes, Charles, I fancy you a little bit," she responded.

Charles' eyebrows went up and they came together, Charles looking as if he was deep in thought. "Only a little bit?", he asked shyly.

Again, Elsie laughed. "Well, perhaps more than a little bit," she responded, laughing still, Charles joining in.

* * *

Once they finished their wine and put everything back in the hamper, Elsie turned her back to Charles and leaned against him, looking up at the sky. "It's gorgeous out here," she said, looking up at the stars.

"It certainly is," Charles replied, looking at Elsie. Her eyes met his and she realized he wasn't talking about the stars. She blushed and then changed the subject.

"So, how often to you come out to the boat?", she asked him.

"Oh, I'm living here, at the moment," he said nonchalantly.

Elsie sat up and looked at him. "Living here?" She asked, an incredulous tone in her voice. Again, Charles laughed.

"For now. I didn't want to live in a hotel until I found a more permanent place, and I had my boat here already. It's peaceful, and I like it, and it's perfectly comfortable, so why not?", he explained.

"Why not, indeed," Elsie answered. "I guess I just never pictured Charles Carson living on a boat," she said, laughing. Charles loved her laugh. It was a sweet melody to his ears. He could spend the rest of his life listening to the very sound. He thought about how they sat here together, so easily, talking so casually, yet intimately. He could definitely get used to this.

As he was thinking about it, he was surprised by Elsie's next question. "Favorite color?," she asked.

"Blue," he said, simply.

"What shade of blue?", she asked. "There are many. Light or dark?"

"The color of your eyes is my favorite color blue," he said endearingly. At that comment, it was Elsie's turn for her stomach to do flips.

"Flatterer," she simply said.

"Hmpf," Charles responded. "What's yours?", he asked.

"Mmmmm…" Elsie thought about it. "I like purple, actually," she answered.

Charles nodded. "When's your birthday?", he asked.

"January 11th," she answered. "Yours?"

"August 19th," he responded. "How old are you?", he asked innocently.

"Charles!" Elsie exclaimed. "Don't you know it is improper for a woman to reveal her age? Didn't you ever hear the quote from Oscar Wilde? 'One should never trust a woman who tells one her real age. A woman who would tell one that would tell one anything,'" she recited.

"Hmpf!" Charles responded. "That was over a century ago. Don't tell me the independent Elsie Hughes won't reveal her true age," he asked, knowing that would get to her.

She thought for a moment. "I'm forty-three," she said, none too happy about having to reveal it. "And what about you?"

"How old do you think I am?", he asked with a smirk on his face.

"Oh, no, no, no!" She said. "I will not fall for that!" She exclaimed, looking back up to the sky to see the stars.

"Forty-eight, nearly forty-nine," he responded, gauging her reaction.

"Hmmmmm…an older man...I like that," Elsie replied, turning her head back to look at him again.

"You do?", he asked and Elsie nodded. Charles leaned towards her. "I like you," he whispered to Elsie, his lips nearly touching hers.

"That's a good thing, Mr. Carson," Elsie replied, "because I like you too," she said as she closed the distance between them, pressing her lips against his.

* * *

What started as soft, simple, sweet kisses transpired into passionate, drawn out, full explorations of each other's mouths. Charles put his lips over Elsie's lower lip and tugged, she opening her mouth to grant him entry to hers. Their tongues danced together in a passionate give and take, the two of them deeply vested in learning how to please the other.

Charles' took his hands from the side of Elsie's face and moved them down her sides to her back, tugging her onto his lap. She gladly consented, moving atop him, her legs on each side of his hips and her arms going around his neck. Thoughts of the other night came rushing back to the both of them and they were reminded of how well their bodies worked together. Charles began kissing down Elsie's neck to the place below her ear where he knew she was extremely sensitive the other night. When he licked the spot slowly, Elsie moaned out loud, digging her hands into Charles' hair at the nape of his neck, and pulling her center closer to his. The contact between the two of them nearly drove Charles over the edge.

He kissed back up the other side of her neck and put his forehead against hers, looking into her eyes. "Elsie," he whispered.

"Hmmmmm?", she responded, completely lost in how he was making her feel.

"I fear that if I don't stop now, I won't be able to," he told her huskily, holding her tightly against him. Immediately, Elsie's bottom lip went between her teeth and Charles felt that warmth in his lower abdomen.

Elsie had a decision to make. Charles was giving her the power to continue what they were doing, or to put the brakes on. In her mind, she initially thought that they should take things slowly, however, she also knew how good Charles made her feel, and now, knowing that he was vested in this, well, whatever this was...relationship?, she wondered, it made her want to go full speed ahead. She wanted to dive right back in and start kissing him again, but she knew she had to say it out loud.

"Will you think me extremely forward if I ask you to take me to bed, Mr. Carson?" She asked him.

"Will you think me terribly impulsive and lacking in self restraint if I do?" Charles replied.

They both stilled their movements and looked deeply into the other's eyes for a long moment, each gauging the other's feelings and emotions. At the same time, they both moved forward the few inches and gave in to the magnetism that was pulling them together. They started kissing again with a fierce intensity that could not be quelled. After a moment, Charles stood up, lifting Elsie up and she wrapped her legs around his middle. He walked down the few steps into the cuddy and over to the bedroom door, opening it and walking inside.

When he closed the door, he gently set Elsie down and just stared at her for a moment. "You're sure?", he asked her.

"I'm sure," she whispered back. After that assertion, the two began undressing each other, undoing buttons, zippers, taking off undergarments, until they were lying on the bed next to each other, naked. Charles looked at Elsie from head to toe.

"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen," he said, leaning down to kiss her.

"Then you haven't seen very many women," Elsie replied, trying to take his attention away from her.

Charles stilled at that. "Don't," he said simply. "Don't try to downgrade your beauty, Elsie, please." He paused and gently kissed her shoulder and then made his way to the center of her collar bone. "You are absolutely the most exquisite, gorgeous woman I have ever laid eyes on," he said, moving his kisses down her chest to her right breast. He gently kissed around her breast until his lips made their way to her nipple, and he licked the rosy bud, making Elsie whimper against him. He made his way to her other breast, giving it the same attention. As he lavished her breasts with his tongue, he moved his hand softly down her torso, gently caressing her most private area. When he grazed his finger against her, she bucked against him.

"Mmmmmmm…" Charles moaned. "You are more than ready," he said excitedly. At that comment, Elsie reached down and took Charles in hand, gently stroking and caressing him, finding he, too, was just as ready as she was.

"God, Elsie, I have never been so turned on by anyone before," he whispered to her, gently stroking her as he continued to lavish kisses upon her breasts and neck.

"Charles," Elsie moaned. "Please," she said. She couldn't take it anymore. He was making her feel so good, but she needed him, and she needed him now. She couldn't wait any longer.

Charles made his way back up to her mouth and kissed her fully, trying to pour all of his emotions into her, trying to tell her without words how much he wanted her, needed her. He looked her directly in the eyes and aligned their bodies. Elsie bent her legs and opened herself to him, welcoming him to her. Charles pushed gently into her and they both gasped at the sensation and fullness they felt at being joined.

Last time they did this, it was such a rush of passion. They couldn't get to each other fast enough. But tonight, now, knowing that there was more between them than just one night of shagging, they both paid more attention to the way they were feeling, the joy in being joined, the sounds the other person was making. It was as if they were studying each other, beginning to learn what made the other gasp, sigh, groan. It was slow and ever so passionate.

As Charles moved slowly in and out of Elsie, she brought her heels up and wrapped her legs around his waist, allowing him to sink deeper into her. Elsie moaned at the sensation, saying, "Oh, Charles." She wrapped her arms tighter around his back, pulling him closer to her. The sound of his name on her lips propelled Charles further, making him want even more of her. "Closer," Elsie said, "please." Charles tried to comply, pushing even closer to her. He kissed her again, sinking one of his hands into her hair.

"Elsie," he said, trying to hold on. At that moment, he felt her closing around him, and she began to shake. She tightened her legs even more, drawing out her climax as Charles thrust once more into her, reaching his end along with her.

A moment later, Charles made to move, but Elsie tightened her arms around him and said, "Stay, please, for a minute." Charles lifted his head and looked at her, leaning down to place soft kisses on her mouth, then leaning his forehead against hers. He pecked her a few more times before he slipped off of her, lying down next to her and pulling her into his embrace. He pulled the bed covers up around them and he brushed his fingers through her hair as they both tried to catch their breaths.

As they laid there, coming down from their highs, Elsie combed her fingers through Charles very prominent chest hair. She found it incredibly sexy. She tangled her legs with his and looked up into his eyes, then kissed him softly on his chin. As she contemplated what just happened, she didn't have any regrets. Charles looked down at her and asked her, "Have you ever slept on a boat before?" When she shook her head, he continued, "Will you stay?"

Elsie didn't even have to think about it. She immediately knew that there was no place she would rather be in that moment than in the arms of Charles Carson, on a boat or wherever that may be. She nodded her head, and Charles smiled, kissing her on her forehead. "Good," he said. "Elsie Hughes," he whispered, "I know we haven't known each other for very long, but what I do know is that I am falling for you," he said to her endearingly.

Elsie looked up into his eyes and bit her bottom lip. Her eyes began to tear up and then she whispered back to him, "Me too, and it scares me," she said honestly. He pulled her tighter to him, kissing her head again, trying to show her that it was okay, that she shouldn't be scared, that they were in this together, as a team.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Hello again, lovelies. First of all, thank you so much for your reviews, favorites, follows, and re-blogs. You guys are the absolute best! Here is the next chapter. I'm sorry it took so long, but RL has been so busy lately. Luckily, we have a snow day here today, so that gave me extra time to write.**_

 ** _Just a note...to some this may seem to be moving fast, but, hey...it's Elsie and Charles. They are meant to be together, right? Elsie is a bit unsure, but just because she is so set in her ways. And this version of Charles is all about helping her to find her way when it comes to love...they're in their 40's after all, not teenagers. Anyways, I hope you like it! Please let me know what you think!_**

She woke a few hours later, the need to use the loo overwhelming her. When she opened her eyes, the subtle lights in the room allowed her to look up at the man who was keeping her very warm and cozy. As he slept, he had a calm, peaceful look on his face. There was an errant curl from his hair lying on his forehead and Elsie smiled softly at that, noticing it before. She so desperately wantedto run her hands over it and brush it back, but she daren't, for fear of waking him up. She carefully and quietly slid from his embrace to the plush carpet of the boat cabin. When her skin hit the cool air, she immediately got goose flesh. She looked down to find something to cover her and she grabbed the first thing in sight, pulling Charles' jumper over her head and relishing in the soft feel of it against her skin. The fact that it smelled like him was an added bonus, and it brought a smile to her face. She quietly made her way out of the cabin and to the loo.

After taking a while to figure out how to make everything work in a loo on a boat, she was finished and she quietly crept back to the bedroom. She wasn't expecting the gruff, raspy voice to greet her, and she nearly jumped out of her skin. "You look much better in that jumper than I ever will," he said, smiling as she got back under the covers. She smirked at his comment as he wrapped his arms back around her.

"Och!", she said. "I happen to think you looked quite dashing in this," she said, "however I must admit that I did enjoy taking it off of you as well." Charles chuckled at that and she surprised herself with that comment. She had never been so open with any man she had dated, but with Charles she felt as if she didn't have to guard herself or what she was saying. She smiled inwardly to herself, realizing that slowly, she was letting her guard down, and it actually felt good to do so. She had built these walls up for so long, guarding herself from being hurt, but now she was realizing how nice it was to feel cherished.

Just as she was having the thought, Charles leaned down and placed a soft kiss on the top of her head. "You okay?", he asked, rubbing his hand softly along her shoulders and leaning back a bit to see her face.

"Mmm-hmmm," she replied. "More than okay, actually," she opened up. Charles smiled widely at that and pulled her body flush against his, relishing in the comfort and closeness it offered.

* * *

When she awoke again, she could smell the wonderful scent of freshly brewed coffee in the air. She reached out, her eyes still closed, and she felt the emptiness immediately. She was quite looking forward to snuggling back into Charles and his warmth, but all she found was cold sheets. She opened her eyes and blinked a few times, adjusting to the brightness. When she looked over to the bedside, the clock read 8:30. She could hardly believe she had slept that late. She couldn't remember the last time she slept so peacefully, and so long. She stretched, languidly, and made the decision to go find her companion.

After pulling her knickers on and straightening Charles' jumper, she opened the door to the rest of the cabin, only to find it empty. She made her way to the stairs and as she walked up, she noticed Charles, dressed in a pair of track pants and a hooded sweatshirt, sitting on the back bench, coffee cup and book in hand. She smirked at the sight, taking it all in. The errant curl was still lying atop his forehead, and he had a look of quiet satisfaction on his face. She loved just staring at him. When it all became too much and she got a lump in her throat, she swallowed quickly and said, "You know, people would accuse you of not being English for drinking coffee in the morning."

At the sound of her voice, Charles immediately looked over to the stairs and smiled, placing his book and mug on the table and standing up to walk the few steps over to her. He took her hand and pulled her up from the last step, putting his arms around her and kissing her softly on her lips. "Good morning, beautiful," he said, kissing her forehead as well.

"Good morning yourself," she replied, a smile slowly making its way upon her face.

Charles smirked, and then said, "And to that comment, I happen to know that you, my dear, prefer coffee in the morning, and so that is what we shall have," he explained, walking over to the coffee pot and extra mug on the table. "How would you like it?" He asked her.

"A spot of cream, please. In first, mind," she replied. As he poured her coffee, she ventured to the side of the boat, looking out over the Thames. "How is it we have two nice days in a row in England?", she asked.

Charles grunted a little as he handed her the mug, placing his hands on her shoulders and his chin upon her head. "I barely noticed," he said. "Every moment with you is sunny in my book."

Elsie chuckled at that comment and said, "Charmer," as she sipped her coffee. "Mmmmm, this is quite good. How does one go about making coffee on a boat, anyhow?", she asked.

"There's a mini kitchen down below," Charles explained. "Small fridge, small cooktop, a few normal necessities. I couldn't have a dinner party for ten here, but there are enough of the amenities to get me by," he said, kissing her head and walking over to retrieve his mug and filling it with more coffee from the carafe. "Unfortunately," he began, looking up at Elsie, "I wasn't really expecting an overnight guest, so my choices for breakfast are not that extravagant, I'm sorry to say," he said, walking back over to her and placing his arm around her back.

Elsie smirked up at him and replied, "Well, I'm sure you'll find that I'm hardly picky in that matter, as it is," she said, "but, I was rather hoping that we might enjoy a bit of Beryl's apple tart for breakfast seeing as we didn't get to dessert last night," she said, blushing.

Charles was more than pleased, both at her comment and the look in her eyes when she recalled what they had gotten up to. He smiled down at her. "Elsie Hughes, you are a woman after my own heart, suggesting apple tart for breakfast. And, to correct you, I do think we had dessert last night, though be it in a different, wonderful form." Elsie's eyes got wide and her face became even more red at the comment, but Charles merely ignored it, leaning down to place a sweet, soft kiss upon her lips.

* * *

After they had their apple tart with more coffee and had chatted for a bit, they reluctantly decided that it was time to pull the boat in.

"What do you have going on for the rest of the day?" Charles asked Elsie as she came up on deck from below, dressed back in her own clothes, much to Charles' chagrin. He rather liked her in his jumper.

She thought for a moment and then responded. "I need to go through my emails for a little while. I want to make sure that the vendors got back to me and that everything is lined up for the launch party on Saturday," she explained. "And I have to pop over and see Becky, make sure she is okay," she said.

Charles nodded at her reply, thinking hard about how he was going to see her again later. He wanted to be with her. Near her. Touching her. Loving her.

It was almost as if she read his mind when she asked, "Would you like to come over for some dinner, possibly watch a film or something?", she asked, tentatively. She was a bit worried he would think her too eager, but as soon as she thought that, she relegated herself to the fact that they were older and shouldn't have to worry about those things. If he wanted to come, he'd say yes. If he didn't, then he'd say no. Simple as that. She was too old to worry about the superlative things.

Charles had to admit that he was a bit surprised at her show of eagerness, being the fact that she had been so reserved previously. However, he wasn't going to think twice about it. He wanted to spend every waking moment with this woman, and if she returned the feelings, he wasn't going to worry about it. Not one bit. "I would love nothing more than to spend the evening with you," he said, walking over to her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her soundly. She smirked when the kiss was done and walked over to the captain's chair, placing her hands on the steering wheel.

"Okay," she said, "show me how to work this thing, not just the steering." Charles lifted his eyebrows and angled his head towards her, silently asking if she was being serious. "What?", she asked. "If you and I are going to be spending more time together, I should get to know how to work this thing, shouldn't I?", she asked. Charles smirked at her and shook his head as he walked over and stood behind her, preparing himself to teach Elsie the ways of the water.

* * *

She knew she wasn't a good cook. Adequate, at best, really. She should have just ordered from Beryl, but she didn't want the barrage of questions that would have come from it. She knew that if she told Beryl about Charles, Beryl would immediately want to know all of the details, and to be honest, she wasn't ready to share them yet. She enjoyed having him to herself, and it was early days, so she didn't want to get her hopes up.

As she carried the tray out to the patio after putting the salad in the fridge, she stopped to place some music on her iPad, connecting it to the wireless speaker. She brought up the Van Morrison station, enjoying the first song that came on. After she had started the grill and placed the fish on, she went back into the kitchen to get a drink, and just as she was making it, the bell chimed.

When she opened the door, Charles was standing in front of her, looking as dashing as ever, holding a supermarket bag in one hand a box in the other. "Hello, gorgeous," he said, leaning down to kiss Elsie chastely on the lips.

"Hello yourself," Elsie said, smirking. "Can I take something from you?" She asked, and Charles handed her the box.

"It's for after dinner," he explained. "Scotch for the Scot." He closed the door after he walked in after her and followed her through to the kitchen.

"This is lovely, Charles," she said. "A wonderful brand, I might add," she said as she put it on the counter. "I just made a gin and tonic. Would you like one?" She asked, and Charles nodded, saying please as he emptied the contents of the bag. He brought a lovely looking side dish that Elsie recognized was from Beryl's and a dessert. "You didn't have to bring all that, you know?" Elsie said, handing him his drink. Charles just shrugged. "I thought that since we were having lovely weather, we'd eat on the patio in the back garden. Does that suit?", she asked.

"Of course," he said smiling, following her through the doors.

* * *

Dinner was eaten, and Charles and Elsie sat on the patio, continuing the conversation that seemed to flow over their meal. Elsie kept thinking that it was so easy with him, that it seemed as if they had known each other for years, but as soon as the thought popped into her head, she shooed it out for fear of jinxing things.

"That was delicious, Elsie, thank you," Charles said, leaning over and kissing her on the cheek.

"Well, thank you for coming," she said, standing up. "I'm just going to take these in and I'll be right out," she said, standing and gathering their plates. Charles made to get up and help, but Elsie put her hand out and urged him to stay there. "Honestly, I've got it. Please, just stay right there. I won't be but a tick," she said, smiling as she walked away.

He smiled as he watched he go into the house, paying particular attention to how lovely the sway of her hips was as she walked away. He didn't understand it, and he wasn't sure he needed to, but there was something about this woman that made him feel so comfortable, at peace almost. It was almost as if she steadied him, making him feel as if he was on even ground. He wasn't aware of the smile that had adorned his face, and when Elsie came back, a tray in her hands, she asked, "And what exactly are you thinking about, Mr. Carson, with a grin like that on your face?"

He snapped out of it as she began talking and his smile became even wider. "You," he simply said. She shook her head and right after she placed the tray on the table, he grabbed her waist and pulled her onto his lap. "It seems that I really can't think of anything else these past few days but you," he confessed, nuzzling her neck. She giggled as he did so, wrapping her arms around his for a moment and squeezing his forearms with her hands. She turned and placed a sweet kiss on his lips but then got up.

"No, no, no, Charles," she said. "You will not distract me again two nights in a row so that you don't get a proper dessert!"

"Oh, it was me doing the distracting, was it?" Charles asked, shaking his head. "As far as I'm concerned, I will argue that it was all you," he said. "In fact, whenever you are around, I am completely and utterly distracted, so I put one hundred percent blame on you, my darling," he said, shaking his head and smirking at her. She couldn't do anything but giggle at him, while at the same time dishing out the glorious looking dessert. "Mmmm...thank you. May I have the topping, please?", he asked. At her confused look, he grabbed her hand, pulled her down to him, and kissed her soundly on the mouth. "Ahhh, perfect topping," he said, smirking.

"You're incorrigible," she said to him, shaking her head and sitting down, pulling her dessert plate closer to her.

He watched her for a moment, gauging whether or not he should reply with what he really wanted to say. As he thought about it, he weighed the pros and cons, siding with the pros and almost blurted, "No, I am a man who is falling in love, that's what I am." Elsie's eyes got huge and she looked back at him. She was chewing and had a mouthful and couldn't reply right away. Charles understood and said, "I know it may seem too soon, but I had to say it, Elsie. Everything you say...everything you do...I am thoroughly captivated by you. I feel so comfortable with you, like we have known each other for years," he said sincerely. Elsie reached for her glass of water and took a sip.

When she put her glass down, she looked back at Charles and paused for a moment, taking him all in. This handsome, kind, thoughtful man just admitted to her that he was falling in love with her. Could it really happen so fast? Ever the skeptic, Elsie was shocked at her own thoughts when it seemed like a little voice in her mind answered, 'yes, it can!' She took a deep breath before responding to him. "I understand that," she began. "I feel like we've known each other forever, too," she said, admitting at least that to him. "I also told you last night that it scares me. It scares the hell out of me, to be honest," she admitted. He looked at her intensely, reaching out to take her hand.

"Why?" He asked. "Why does it scare the hell out of you?"

She paused for a moment, feeling the electricity that his touch created. There was no denying they had connections on many levels. "Because," she said, stalling, taking her hand back and placing it under her chin. She took another deep breath and then said, "because I've never needed anyone, Charles. Because everyone leans on me, not the other way around. Because I've been hurt in the past and I'd rather not involve myself in something for fear of getting hurt again. Because I fear I'll do something to mess this all up and hate myself forever," she took a deep breath and considered saying her biggest fear. If she was going to let him into her life, if this was going to become something more, she had to tell him. "Because," she whispered, "because I am not a vulnerable person. I like concrete, black and white things. I have built up my career being a strong, determined, capable person, and I am terrified that this will make me vulnerable. Until now, I've really only had to worry about Becky and myself. Adding you to my life is going to terrify me, because I will constantly worry about losing you." She looked up at him for a moment. "Call me selfish, call me ridiculous, call me weak, it's okay. I know it sounds stupid, but those feelings terrify me, and instead of ever dealing with them, I just chose not to date, which makes it easier. Not dating has been easy, until now." She paused for a moment, letting her words sink in. "You had to come along. Sweet, kind, wonderful, handsome you," she said, tears in her eyes as she looked at him again, almost shyly. "Damn you for being so wonderful."

Charles considered what she said and thought for a moment. He then reached out for her hand again and took it in his. He leaned forward, squared himself to her, and took her other hand, squeezing them both. "Elsie," he began. "I understand what you are saying. I do. However, I told you last night that if we continued this, we would be a team." He stopped for a moment, thinking and looking into her eyes, gauging her thoughts. "What I can promise you is that I will do everything in my power to hold up my side of this team. I can't tell you what the future will bring, or what will happen in the world, but what I can tell you, what I told you last night, is that I am not going to let you go, and I will do whatever it takes to make you happy and feel secure. We can take it one day at a time, if that's what you want. Whatever you like. However, I do realize that being in a relationship, and being in love does make us vulnerable. It makes us question our mortality because loving someone makes us value our life and it gives it more meaning." Again he paused. He wanted her to think about what he just said. That being together would make their lives even more meaningful, more wonderful. "Please realize, that the value and meaning that we can get from this will be incredible. The pros will most certainly outweigh the cons, I can tell you that," he said, squeezing her hands.

Elsie shook her head. "You must think I'm a right lunatic bringing these things up already, when this is so new. It's a wonder you haven't taken off already!" Elsie said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Well, I had thought about it a time or two," he said, trying to help her to ease up. She gave his arm a bit of a smack. "In all honesty, Elsie, it does the exact opposite. It makes me want to put even more effort into this. As I said yesterday, we aren't young teenagers. The fact that you are telling me all this, that you shared what you did with me yesterday, it doesn't scare me or make me want to run. It shows me that you trust me enough to be honest with me, and that you must care about me enough to share your worries and insecurities with me. You're giving me the opportunity to bow out. I do appreciate it, but I think I'm going to stick this one out. I'm in it for the long haul, as long as you are sure that you want to keep a giant gift like me around," he said, smiling at her. She smiled back at him, and willingly went when he pulled her on to his lap. "Now, what do you say we take it one day at a time, get to know each other even better, and enjoy each other. The rest is just details."

Elsie nodded her head and leaned down to kiss him. After a soft, sweet kiss, she looked at him and said, "I think a nip of that wonderful scotch you brought might be a good thing right now," she whispered.

"I couldn't agree more," Charles replied, standing with Elsie and helping to carry what was left on the table inside.

* * *

The nip of scotch became two as the pair sat on the couch talking, trying to choose a film, They discussed their favorite films back and forth. "I do like a flick that makes my heart hurt, actually," Elsie said, taking another sip of her scotch.

Charles lifted his eyebrows and had a pensive look on his face. "How so?", he asked. That doesn't seem very pleasant to me."

"It's not like that. I mean a little bit of angst. Lovers separated and trying to make their way back to each other. Some of the old stuff where class and rank came into play and yet people were in love and would leave everything behind to be with the person. None of that unrequited crap where they don't end up together in the end. I enjoy the occasional musical. And I like historical pieces as well. Oh, and some Tarantino films. Those always make you think. Add some murder-mysteries in there and that's me sorted," she explained.

"Well," Charles said, "that's quite the range, I'd say. I'll agree on the historical stuff. I also like the classics, of course. And, typical man here, Star Wars has definitely gotten extra views from me." Elsie scrunched her nose up at that.

"Okay, well, what do you say we start on some middle ground. How about…" she scrolled through the choices, trying to come up with something they both would like. "...ummm, how about this one?," she asked. "Have you seen it?" Charles shook his head, so Elsie pressed play. She snuggled herself into Charles' side and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, both settling in for the movie.

It wasn't fifteen minutes into the film where things got a tad uncomfortable. The couple on the screen was getting a bit intimate, and Elsie's face got red. Sure, she had been intimate with Charles, but watching what was going on on the screen was a bit uncomfortable. Charles cleared his throat and Elsie stood up quickly. "I'll just go put some tea on," she said, walking towards the kitchen.

As she reached up to get the teapot, she almost jumped as she felt Charles' hands snaking up her sides. She turned around quickly and noted the burning look in his eyes. "You know," he whispered, gently pulling her closer to him, "I don't fancy any tea, and I certainly don't fancy watching that film," he said.

Elsie tilted her head to the side, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. "And what, may I ask, do you fancy, Mr. Carson?"

He closed the tiny bit of distance between them, pulling her flush against his body. She could feel his erection pressing into her. "You," he whispered in her ear.

Elsie giggled first, and then wrapped her arms around Charles' neck. "Well then," she said, "better to not leave you wanting, Mr. Carson," she said, pushing herself up on her tiptoes and kissing him deeply, leaving no room for Charles to wonder whether or not she wanted him, too. After their kiss slowed down, Elsie took Charles' hand and led him up the stairs to her bedroom. It was well-decorated and Charles immediately thought that it reminded him of Elsie. Soft, warm colors. No flowers or frills, but with touches of femininity seen in the extra pillows on the bed, the artwork that hung on the walls, and the candles that adorned the tables. The room was a soft gray, with accents of a light green spread around. He immediately liked her style.

Elsie turned the bedside light on, pulled the decorative pillows off the bed and placed them on a chair, pulled the covers down, and then walked back over to Charles. She reached up and put her hands on the sides of his face, gently stroking his cheeks. He leaned down and kissed her softly, waiting for her to open her mouth and let him in. She did so after a few kisses, and he was done for. When she reached to unbutton his shirt, that was all the invitation Charles needed. He pulled her shirt over her head and began to gently wiggle her skirt down her legs. Elsie undid his belt and then his pants, and helped him to step out of them.

There they were, stood in front of each other in nothing but their under clothes. "God, Elsie, you're absolutely stunning," he said. "Gorgeous." Elsie laughed a little and then pulled her lip into her mouth. "And when you do that, I can't even help myself. I'm done," he said, reaching up and running his thumb over her lips. Elsie kissed the pad of his thumb as he did so, and stepped close to him again. That was all it took.

All of a sudden, his hands were in her hair and he was pulling her even closer to him, kissing her with everything that he had. It was so intense that Elsie couldn't tell where he ended and where she began. The feelings coursing through her were so intense, she almost lost her footing. But he was there in an instant, arms around her back, holding her up. They slowed down for a moment, and Charles took the hooks of her bra and unclasped them, delicately guiding the garment down her arms and letting it drop on the floor. He then gently reached down and hooked his thumbs into the waistband of her knickers. He looked into her eyes, making sure she was following his movements. He saw intense focus and desire there, mirroring his own. He gently pulled her knickers down her legs, kneeling in front of her.

Elsie stepped out of the offending garment as Charles helped her. He then proceeded to kiss his way up her legs, nipping and licking as he went. He kissed around her private area and when he got to her belly, Elsie giggled a bit. Charles looked up to her questioningly and she whispered, "Ticklish." They both laughed lightly and he continued his path while Elsie buried her hands in his thick, graying locks. The feel of her nails on his scalp was heavenly and sending shivers down his spine.

When he was standing again, Elsie put her hands on Charles' waist and began inching his boxers down his legs, letting them drop to the floor. Elsie reached out and gently took hold of his erection, stroking softly. The growl that came from his throat was music to Elsie's ears. Charles leaned down and kissed her again, taking her breasts in each of his hands, rubbing his thumbs against her nipples gently, and she lightly bucked against him, moaning softly into his mouth. The intense feelings were too much. Charles slowly walked them back to Elsie's bed and when her knees hit the side, she climbed backwards onto the bed. She waited in the middle, watching Charles as he stood looking at her.

"You are so beautiful," he said, looking at her. Again, she pulled her bottom lip into her mouth, and the look of burning passion in Charles' eyes was clear to her, and mirrored in her own.

"You're pretty gorgeous yourself," Elsie whispered. Charles smirked at her as he climbed towards her on the bed, covering her body with his own. Elsie's arms immediately went around his back as he buried his hands in her hair, leaning down to kiss her fully. Elsie welcomed him into her embrace as if he belonged there. As if he were a part of her. That's how it felt when he was so close to her, skin upon skin. Charles leaned down and took one of her nipples into his mouth, caressing it with his tongue and then sucking gently. Elsie moaned loudly, and that made Charles ache for her even more.

"Please, Charles," Elsie said. "I want you," she whispered. "Need you." Charles leaned back up and kissed her again. Elsie buried her hands in his hair, looking into his eyes. As they stared at each other, Charles slowly joined them, and they both elicited low, satisfied moans and their joining. They kissed again as Charles slowly moved in and out of Elsie. She opened her legs even further and wrapped them around his back, allowing him to get even closer to her. She began moving with him, finding their perfect rhythm.

Suddenly, Charles stopped and looked into Elsie's eyes. "Do you feel that?" He asked. Elsie looked at him, confused. She sure felt a lot right now, but she wasn't sure what he was alluding to. "A perfect fit, Elsie," he said. "We fit perfectly together. We were made for each other," he said, leaning down to kiss her sweetly. When he looked at her again, there was a tear falling down her cheek. He leaned down and kissed it away, pushing her hair back and kissing her again. Elsie smiled back up at him, and he took that as his cue to begin moving again.

It wasn't long after his sweet, sweet words that Elsie couldn't help herself. This man made her feel everything she had never felt before. If she could be here, like this, forever, she would be the happiest woman in the world. Suddenly, she yelled out, "Oh Charles, yes!" At the sound of her voice, Charles moved quicker, creating a friction that sent Elsie over the edge. "Yes, yes, oh, Mo bhilis, Mo gradh, yes!" She yelled. Charles didn't know what she just said, but he knew that the sound of it completely sent him over the edge. Together, as she shook around him and he poured into her, they held on to each other for dear life, as if they were each other's lifelines, and couldn't let go.

Once they both stopped shaking, Charles leaned up on his elbows and looked down into Elsie's eyes, and then kissed her sweetly and softly, first on her lips, and then on her cheeks, chin, forehead. She gently rubbed her fingers up and down his back. "That was incredible," she said quietly, shyly.

"Mmmmmm...it certainly was," he replied. "You are incredible," he said, kissing her again.

Elsie reached up to push Charles' errant curly off of his forehead and smiling as it fell again instantly. "Can you stay?" She asked, hopeful.

He stilled for a moment, surprised that she asked. "Well, I rather like falling asleep with you in my arms," he said, kissing her, she smiling widely.

"I like it, too," she admitted. "Don't think I have slept as soundly in years as I did last night." He smiled at that.

"Luckily enough, I picked up some clothes from the cleaners today and they are in my car, so I'll be alright for the office tomorrow."

"Good," she said. "That's settled, then."

After they had each taken turns in the loo and gotten cleaned up, they slipped nakedly back into bed and Charles wrapped Elsie in his arms, holding her tightly. She kissed his chest right over his heart, and he kissed her forehead. "I agree, by the way," she whispered drowsily.

"With what?" he asked, sleepily.

"That we fit together perfectly," she whispered back, smiling nervously.

Charles pulled her tightly against him, smiling and leaning down to kiss her once more before they fell asleep.

* * *

 _ **Up next...a little bit of angst, and it may be at the hands of a certain secretary, Miss Candace Carroll.**_


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi everyone! I'm so sorry it has been so long. RL has been so busy and overwhelming and, to be honest, when I've had extra time, I've taken it to read all of the other awesome Chelsie fanfic out there. But, I'm back, and I hope to update more quickly, especially since I will be off work next week. A huge shout out to csota, ChelsieSouloftheAbbey, who gave me a nudge in one of her messages. Knowing she reads my stuff, among many others of you, is extremely flattering and propels me forward. I hope you like where I am taking these two. A short A/N at the end just to explain something.**

* * *

"Well, you seem awfully cheerful this morning," Anna commented as she walked into Elsie's office, finding her boss smiling as she seemed to be staring at her computer screen. Elsie had come in with a huge smile on her face. She feigned that it was excitement over Anna's ring, but Anna was way more perceptive than that. She knew Elsie was extremely happy for her, but there was a certain twinkle in Elsie's eyes that told Anna there was more to it.

"Sorry, what?" Elsie asked as she looked up at Anna, who was handing her a mug of coffee. At that moment, she happened to be thinking about her morning with Charles, waking up in his arms, getting ready for work alongside him, enjoying his presence much more than she ever thought she would enjoy anyone sharing her space. "Oh, you are a darling," she said, smiling at Anna. "Thank you," she said as she took a sip of the steaming liquid.

"So, spill it," Anna said, sitting in one of the leather chairs in front of Elsie's desk, planting herself there until she got out of Elsie what it was that was making her so cheery.

"Spill what?" Elsie asked, feigning ignorance, reaching out to grab a folder from the side of the desk and handing it to Anna. "Here. This folder has all of the invoices for the launch party. I also shared a folder with you via email that includes all of the emails from the vendors, if you wouldn't mind organizing them by category so that I can move on to the airport accounts to make sure we are on track for the advertising billboards to go up."

Anna reached over and took the folder, but she was not going to back down. "I'm not leaving until you talk to me, Elsie Hughes." Anna sat with her arms crossed across her chest and a stern look on her face. Elsie stared at her for a moment, considering whether or not she wanted to share the details of her weekend. She enjoyed having Charles to herself, as if he was her own special little secret. However, she knew it couldn't last forever, so she decided to let Anna in on a little of it.

"Fine," she said. "Close the door, please." Anna raised her eyebrows, in a bit of a shock, but stood up and complied. After she had sat back down, Elsie took her glasses off and bit the end of one of the arms, trying to figure out exactly what she wanted to tell Anna. "I had dinner with Mr. Carson," she said simply.

Anna looked at her and replied right away. "I know that. You told me that Saturday morning when I called you."

Elsie shook her head. "No, I had dinner with him on Saturday, actually," she said, pursing her lips and smirking a bit.

Anna couldn't help the giant smile that instantly was on her face. "Ha!" she said. "I told you a little lovin' goes a long way! You are positively glowing, Elsie!" Anna was so excited that maybe, just maybe, Elsie was allowing herself to open up to someone.

Elsie rolled her eyes a little. "Honestly, Anna, you're absolutely incorrigible. You know that, right?"

"I certainly do, and I'll never change when it comes down to you. I really am happy for you. So, it was a good time then?" She asked, not wanting to pry for too many details. She knew Elsie would give them to her in time, when she saw fit.

"It was," Elsie said simply. "Now, shall we get down to business?" She asked, ready to dive into work, if she could possibly take her mind off of Charles Carson.

* * *

Dive into work she did, and she found that it was long after lunch that she had thought about Charles and wanted to say hello to him. She knew he was locked up in meetings all morning, but after glancing at the clock, she thought that now may be a good time. She picked up her phone and dialed his extension.

After a few rings, the shrill voice of his secretary answered. "Crawley Enterprises, Mr. Carson's office, Candace speaking. How may I help you?" Elsie's stomach turned at the sound of the woman's voice on the other end. There was something about her, well, more than one thing, actually, that bothered Elsie to no end. She cleared her voice and then spoke up.

"Hello, Candace," she said, feigning kindness. "This is Elsie Hughes. May I please speak with Mr. Carson?" she asked nicely.

Without even a millisecond passing, Candace answered immediately. "Mr. Carson is unavailable right now," she said bluntly.

After waiting a moment, to see if Candace offered to take a message, which she didn't, Elsie replied. "Okay. Can you please leave a message that I called?" she asked.

"Sure," Candace replied, and immediately hung up. Elsie was flabbergasted. She couldn't believe that this woman had the gall to treat a top executive at the company with no respect at all. She was going to have to have a word with Charles when he called her back.

* * *

Unfortunately, he didn't. Elsie worked until almost six that evening, and she never heard back from Charles. She looked up when Anna came in to let her know that John had come down from his office and they were leaving.

"Any messages for me before you go?" She asked Anna hopefully. Anna shook her head.

"Nope," she said. "Everything is all squared away and we're all set for the conference room in the morning at nine for the conference call."

"Okay, thanks," Elsie replied. "Have a good night, love," she said as Anna walked out.

Hmmmmm, Elsie thought. She started to gather her things and decided she would pop her head in to Charles' office on her way out. When she got to his corridor, she noticed that his secretary wasn't at her desk and his office door was closed. She knocked on the door and stood waiting, but when she got no reply, she walked back to the elevators. She pulled her mobile out of her pocket to make sure it was on and that she hadn't missed any calls. When she realized there were no messages or calls, she got a bit of a sinking feeling in her stomach. Why hadn't Charles called her back? Why hadn't he contacted her at all today? Elsie was extremely conflicted. On one hand, she was upset because she hadn't heard from him, and she wanted to. She had looked forward to it, actually. On the other hand, she was upset with herself for being upset. She had never cared about any of this stuff before, and the fact that it bothered her was frustrating. As she was having that thought, the elevator made a dinging sound and the doors opened up.

* * *

When she got to work the next morning, Elsie was extremely irritable. Anna could sense it right away when Elsie walked in, mumbled a "morning," threw her jacket in the corner and walked straight into her office.

Oh boy, Anna thought, today is not going to be a good day…

Anna kept her distance, only breaching the threshold of doom once to bring Elsie her coffee. She knew that if she pried, Elsie would be even more irritated. When Elsie was ready, she would share what it was that was going on.

When 8:55 rolled around, Elsie swiftly came out of her office, said "Ready?" to Anna, and headed to the conference room, Anna rushing after her in her wake.

When they entered the room, Robert was already at the head of the table, After good mornings were exchanged, Elsie and Anna sat to the left of Robert, both facing the door. As they were organizing their materials, the elusive Charles Carson made his way into the room, his secretary following him. "Good morning, everyone," Charles said in his booming voice, a smile on his face as he looked briefly at Robert and then at Elsie, making eye contact with her and smiling even bigger. Elsie scrunched her forehead up in confusion and looked down at her notes immediately, the corners of her mouth facing downward in a frown. How could he come in so cheery when he didn't even so much as call her yesterday? Elsie wondered.

Just as the thought entered her mind, Phyllis Baxter, Robert's secretary, came in, wielding a tray of breakfast treats for everyone, placing it on the sideboard, and sitting down. After she shared pleasantries with Phyllis, Elsie glanced over to Charles, realizing he was staring at her with a questioning gaze. Why was he sending her mixed signals? No call or contact yesterday and then he tries to smile and act like everything is okay today? She didn't get it. And she didn't have time to, because Robert was promptly starting the meeting.

* * *

Once Elsie and Anna presented all of the details and information regarding the launch party at the end of the week, Robert was overly enthusiastic about the even and the launch of his new acquisition. He couldn't wait to share it with the world as a Crawley Enterprises product. "I told you she was brilliant, didn't I?" Robert said as he looked over at Charles.

Charles looked directly into Elsie's eyes, smiling and simply said, "She is." There was a sharp "hmpf" that came from next to Charles, Candace Carroll clearly not disguising her dislike of Elsie.

Elsie's face became red and she looked away. It frustrated her that Charles was being so sweet and endearing today when he hadn't so much as called her yesterday. "Well," she said, "I couldn't have done any of it without Anna, so she should get half the credit." Elsie turned towards Anna and said, "thank you, for all your hard work on this." Anna simply smiled and nodded her head. Elsie looked back at Robert and said, "Let's just hope that what we have on paper and up on the screen turns out the way we have it planned in reality."

Under her breath across the table, just audible enough, Candace was heard saying, "Yes, let's hope indeed," with a sarcastic smile on her face.

Just as Charles was about to reply, Robert cut in. "I'm sure it will be even better," Robert said excitedly, standing up and handing his materials over to Phyllis. "I think that's it for today. Elsie, let me know if there is anything you need as far as set up goes over the next few days. I'm very excited to have Beryl doing the catering, by the way. Some of her concoctions paired with our variety of wines…mmmmm...perfection!" Robert said, putting his index finger and thumb to his lips and kissing them. The rest of the group laughed as he did so. "Now, Charles, a moment, please before lunch?" Robert asked. Charles looked over to Elsie and reluctantly nodded, turning and exiting the room with Robert.

Elsie and Anna quickly left the conference room and made their way to Elsie's office, where Elsie's mood automatically turned sour yet again. Anna followed her into her office and said, "So, are you going to tell me, or do I have to beat it out of you?" she asked, giving up on letting it come out naturally. "We just received great praise from Robert, and you're miserable. What's up?" she asked.

Elsie sat down at her desk in huff, putting her head in her hands. After a deep breath, she looked up and motioned her hand towards the door, encouraging Anna to close it. Once she did and sat down, she waited for Elsie to begin.

"I just don't get it!" she said, looking up to the ceiling.

"Get what?" Anna asked, confused.

"Charles," Elsie said. "I don't get him. We had a wonderful weekend together and then I don't hear from him at all yesterday. Not a phone call. No text. No nothing. And then today, he comes in acting like everything is rainbows and sunshine. I don't get it," she said with a huff, frustrated beyond belief.

Anna had an immediate reply. "But he clearly adores you. Everyone in that room could see the way he was looking at you, with complete admiration. It was almost palpable," Anna explained. "I had to keep averting my eyes so that I could focus. It's written all over his face, Elsie."

Elsie thought about it for a minute. Anna was right, of course, but that is what frustrated her. There had to be some reason or explanation. If she saw through her anger and frustration, she could see the sweet smile on Charles' face and the way he looked at her.

Just as she was thinking it, Anna said, "Go down and talk to him, Elsie. I'm sure he's got a reasonable explanation." She reached out and placed her hand over Elsie's, squeezing lightly. "Want me to call over and see if he is available?" she asked.

"No, no, that's okay," Elsie replied. "I'll do it. Thanks, love, for always talking sense into me," Elsie said with a smile.

"That's what I'm here for," Anna replied. "Oh, and to take over for you one day," she said, laughing as she opened the door and walked out.

After Elsie took a deep breath, she lifted the phone off the base and dialed Charles' office number. She was greeted, if that's what she could call it, by the overly succulent voice of his secretary. "Crawley Enterprises, Mr. Carson's office, how may I help you?" Candace asked.

"Hello Candace," Elsie began in as nice a voice that she could muster. "This is Ms. Hughes. May I please speak with Mr. Carson?" she asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Elsie," Candace replied, clearly showing a lack of respect for the marketing director. "Mr. Carson is unavailable right now," she said, not offering to take a message.

"Right," Elsie replied. "Would you please tell him I called and ask him to get back to me as soon as possible?" she asked.

"Mmm-hmm," Candace replied, hanging the phone up in Elsie's ear. Elsie took her receiver from her ear and looked at it for a moment, shaking her head. Something wasn't right. It just didn't make sense. She was going to figure it out. She decided to go to the lady's to freshen up, and then she was going to pay Charles Carson a personal visit.

* * *

Walking down the corridor, Elsie felt pretty good about herself. Despite her restless night of tossing and turning, she felt refreshed after combing through her hair and re-applying her lipstick. She was ready to get to the bottom of this and find out what exactly was going on with Charles. She pushed her shoulders back, stood up straight and turned the corner to his office area. As she walked towards the location, she noticed that Candace Carroll was not sitting at her desk. Beyond her area, to the right, Elsie noticed that Charles' office door was open, so she decided to walk over to see if he was inside and, hopefully, not too busy to see her.

As she approached the door, she heard the murmuring of voices and slowly peeked her head in, looking over to the left where Charles' desk was located. However, she couldn't really see Charles. All she could see was the back of Candace Carroll leaning over a sitting Charles, looking as if she was kissing him. Elsie turned white immediately and her stomach flipped. In an instant, her hand went up to her mouth and she made a shrieking sound before turning on her heels and walking as quickly as she could down the corridor and back to her office. She was so upset with what she just saw she didn't hear her name being called after her, her emotions flooding all of her senses, almost blocking her hearing and creating tears in her eyes.

She tried hard to mask what she was feeling and made as if she was in a rush to get back to her office so as not to draw attention from any passersby in the corridor. She was relieved to see that Anna was probably still at lunch so she didn't have to explain to her what just happened and what she saw. She didn't want Anna to see how hurt she was. She needed to preserve her tough, outside exterior, and wearing her emotions on her sleeve would not allow her to do so. She walked through her office door and slammed it behind her, and then she crashed down on the settee by the window, her hands covering her face.

Breathe. She needed to breathe. There were a million things running through her mind, however the image of Candace Carroll leaning over Charles would not stop appearing there. She got a horrible taste in her mouth just thinking about the woman's name in her head. That bitch! She knew she didn't like her, but now she downright despised her. And Charles! What the hell? How could he have let that happen? And then the memories of yesterday, his lack of communication...the penny dropped and she realized he must not want to be with her anymore. He must have truly realized how beautiful Candace Carroll really is. Youth definitely had its advantages. How could she have been so stupid to open herself up to him in such a short time, only to be discarded so quickly?

As she was contemplating what to do, whether she should dive back into work or take the afternoon off to get away from it all, there was a soft knock on the door. For a moment, she thought about ignoring it and pretending she wasn't there, but that wasn't Elsie. She never backed down from anything, and she wasn't going to start today. She needed to see this through, and face the world head on. She stood, wiped at her eyes, pulled her skirt down and made sure her blouse was in place and she took a deep breath, walking towards the door and opening it slightly.

On the other side stood a very worried looking Charles Carson, the trepidation clear in his eyes. "Elsie," he began, but she simply put her hand up to stop him.

"It's okay, Charles," she began. "I understand. Really, I do. We don't have to make this any more awkward than we have to, so let's just leave it at that and move on," she said with finality, feigning a quick smirk before looking down at her feet. She couldn't look into his deep, dreamy eyes, else she'd be transformed to another place that would pain her to think about right now.

Charles looked dumbfounded, not really understanding what she was alluding to. "Elsie, I…" he tried again, but Elsie wasn't having it. She didn't want to lose her cool because she knew she had to work with this man in the future for a while, so she attempted one more time to assuage him.

"Listen, Charles…" God how he loved the way she said his name, the concentration on the r creating butterflies in his stomach. He was brought back to her right away when she raised her voice. "As I said, I get it. No need to comb through the details so we have to re-live anything. You go your way, I'll go mine, and I'll see you for the work things we must collaborate on. Have a good day, Charles," she said as she closed the door softly and turned around, trying desperately to stifle the sob that was making its way up her throat.

As she took a few steps towards her desk, her door flung open and the booming voice that always sent shivers down her spine called out, "Are you mad, woman?" Elsie did a complete turn around quickly, trying desperately to compose herself so as not to let her true emotions be apparent.

"Mad?" she questioned him. "Why exactly would I be mad?" she asked, almost irritatingly.

Charles took a deep breath before continuing, placing his hands on his hips. "Do you really think that I am going to make it that easy for you to punt me out of your life?" he asked. "I don't think so!" he almost yelled. "After what we've shared and then it's no communication?" he said, emphatically.

"Excuse me," Elsie cut in, "but you haven't called me or texted me or anything for the last two days, and then I just walked into your office to see your secretary leaning over you, doing who knows what? I'd rather not have your new girlfriend shoved in my face, thank you very much. Next time I need to communicate with you, I'll do it through Anna or email."

Charles just shook his head. "Mad," he said quietly, considering what to say next. "You really are mad, aren't you?" he asked, looking up at Elsie. She had to look away for fear of being drawn into those eyes. Elsie was exasperated. She couldn't believe he was calling her mad when one day he was basically professing his love to her and the next she didn't hear a peep from him. She needed to tell him just that.

She began with a huff. "Mr. Carson," she began, seeing how her use of his last name hurt him as he winced. "I hardly think I am the mad one when you are the one who is telling me one day how much you want me in your life, how you want to be with me, and then the next day I don't hear a word from you, and the next day I walk into your office to see Miss Priss sprawled all across you. And I'm the mad one?" she said, pointing her finger to her own chest. "I hardly think so. I don't do drama, Mr. Carson, and I don't play games. Your mixed messages are a little too much for me," Elsie said, turning away from him to catch her breath.

Charles shook his head, trying to understand what he was hearing. "Wait a minute," he said, waiting for Elsie to look at him again. When she did, he continued, his arms flailing. "You leave a message for me saying that you were overwhelmed with work and didn't want to be bothered yesterday and that if you had a minute you'd call me, and I'm the one who isn't communicating?" he asked, trying to figure out what the hell this woman was talking about.

Elsie's eyebrows raised as she considered what he just said. "I did no such thing," Elsie said angrily. "In fact," she said, putting her hands on her hips, "I called you a few times and every time I did, your secretary said you were busy and couldn't talk. I left messages asking you to call me back, which you never did," she said, boring her gaze into those eyes that she loved so much. Dark, deep, warm, inviting. She had to shake her head to stop herself from being lost in them.

Charles had to think for a minute. He waited all day to hear from Elsie and had to resign himself at the end of the night to the fact that she must have been too busy and he was going to have to go without hearing her melodious voice for a day. It was torture for him, but he didn't want to seem overbearing or annoying, so he followed her wishes and held back from contacting her, although it took everything in him to do so. All of a sudden, he had a moment of clarity and figured it out. Candace Carroll. Candace fucking Carroll was sabotaging his one true opportunity for happiness and being with the one he loved. Which he did. He knew he did. The pain he felt in his chest when he thought about her and not being able to be with her was too much. He wanted to be with her all the time.

He started to laugh, making Elsie look at him with scrutiny and fury. How could he be laughing at a time like this? She was completely offended. "Oh, I see," she said, shaking her head. "This is all a joke to you. Well, it wasn't a joke to me, not until now when I realize I've been played…" but Elsie couldn't finish. Charles' hands were on her cheeks and his lips were upon hers in no time. Elsie wanted to push him away immediately, but there was something electric between them every time their lips met, and it took her a moment to get her senses back. She put her hands on his chest and pushed him away, gasping. "No," she said. "I will not let you woo me with your charms again, Mr. Carson." She stepped further away from him, trying to get her bearings back. He still had that fucking smile on his face! It was infuriating.

"Elsie," he said, laughing again. "We've got this all wrong. All wrong." She looked up at him then, her brow furrowing.

"How so?" she asked. "Did I not just see you kissing your secretary in your office?"

"No, you didn't," he replied. "What you saw was my secretary trying to kiss me, and me attempting to push her away just as you walked in."

"Likely story," Elsie said sarcastically.

"Elsie, hear me out," he said. "At least give me that." She squared herself to him and crossed her arms over her chest, standing and waiting for what he could possibly say to get him out of this, because as far as she was concerned, regardless of their pull and electricity, there wasn't anything that could dig him out of this hole.

"First of all," he began, "I think we are both being played." He waited a moment to let that sink in. Elsie's left eyebrow rose and she pulled her bottom lip into her mouth, giving Charles a jolt below the belt. God, that did things to him. But he needed to stay focused if he ever wanted to be able to do things with Elsie again. "I do believe that my secretary, my annoying, frustrating, horrible, terrible secretary is trying to sabotage this for us," he said sincerely. "God, she drives me crazy!" he paused for a moment and then asked, "Did you get the flowers I sent yesterday?"

Flowers? No, she didn't get any flowers. She shook her head. "Hmmm...I thought not," he continued. "You say you called my office yesterday? A few times?" Elsie nodded. "I didn't get any messages, aside from one saying that you were busy and not to be bothered and you'd contact me if you could. Did you say that when you called?" he asked. Again, Elsie shook her head, gnawing more aggressively on her lip as she contemplated what Charles was saying. "So, you didn't get my flowers, in which I gave Ms. Carroll the card that I hand wrote myself, telling you how I missed you already and couldn't wait to see you again, and asked her to take it to the florist's, by the way, which she clearly didn't do. I didn't get your messages that you left with Ms. Carroll, and I was told basically to keep my distance because you were busy all day, by Ms. Carroll." He paused for a moment to let it all sink in. When he knew she got it, he relaxed a little. "So," he said, "doesn't it make sense now that neither of us is crazy and she's the mad one?" he asked.

Elsie nodded for a moment, but then said, "That still doesn't explain you kissing her today when I walked into your office," she said pointedly.

"I didn't kiss her," he said. "I'm betting from your angle you couldn't see that, but she did try to kiss me. She feigned a piece of lint on my lapel and reached down to brush it off, which I told her there was no need, and she tried to kiss me. I promise you, Elsie, that I turned my head and she only grazed my cheek," he explained, walking closer to her. She allowed him to. She didn't move at all as he stopped right in front of her. He gently placed his hands below her shoulders on her arms and said, "Elsie Hughes, as far as I'm concerned, there is no other woman in this world for me." He made sure he was looking into her beautiful, clear blue eyes when he said this. "You are everything to me. I've never felt with anyone the way I feel about you. I want to be with you all the time and when I'm not, I'm counting the seconds until I can be with you again. Yesterday was torture. I would have never stayed away from you, but I thought that is what you wanted, and it hurt, but I thought I was following your wishes." He paused for a moment, making sure that Elsie was understanding the depths of his feelings. "I know it seems way too soon to say it, but I can't help how I feel. I love you Elsie. I know I do. I know that's what this is. I love you and would never play games with you. Not after all we have shared and all we have talked about," he said, trying to glean her feelings by looking in her eyes. She knew he was being sincere. For a brief second she felt so stupid for reacting the way she did. She brushed it off, however, because he just told her he loved her. And, truth be told, she loved him, too.

Elsie unhooked her arms from across her chest and placed her hands on Charles' chest, leaning up on her tiptoes and placing her lips gently upon Charles'. After a sweet, soft kiss, she looked into his eyes and said, "I love you too, Charlie." She smiled softly and Charles gathered her into his arms and kissed her again, this time the kiss becoming one that was desperate, both of them pouring their emotions into it, grabbing on to each other, and never wanting to let go.

Until they had to, when they heard an "Eh-em" at the door. The both stopped quickly, turning to see Robert Crawley standing in the doorway, red in the face.

"Sorry to, um, interrupt," Robert stammered, scratching the back of his neck. He then looked up at his friends with a questioning look on his face. "What, exactly, did I interrupt, anyway?" He asked.

"Um…" Elsie began.

"Well…" Charles said at the same time. They both looked at each other and laughed, then looked back at Robert who seemed extremely uncomfortable. "Sorry," Charles ventured, beginning again. "It seems," he began, "that you have extremely good taste in a marketing director," he said, looking over at Elsie and smiling, then taking her hand. "And I'm not able to stay away from her, really," Charles said, looking back at Robert, who seemed non-plussed. He shook his head a bit and then laughed lightly.

Elsie and Charles looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. "Well…?" Charles asked, waiting for a response from Robert.

"What is it with my top executives fraternizing at work?" He asked, shaking his head. "I mean, really, first John Bates and now the two of you."

Elsie spoke up immediately. "I can assure you, Robert, nothing happened at work," she said honestly.

"No, no, I wouldn't imagine it would, knowing you and your work ethic. I simply meant my top people finding their soul mates at work. Looks like I'm a matchmaker and I didn't even know it," Robert said with a giddy smile on his face.

Charles hesitated a moment before saying, "So this is okay, then?"

Robert shook his head before replying. "Of course it's okay. I'm quite chuffed actually. There's no better lady in the world than Elsie, besides my Cora, of course. To be honest, Cora's been telling me for a long time that I should introduce you two. Guess she was right, after all, huh?" He said.

Elsie and Charles both took breaths of relief. "No funny business at work, however," Robert said, pointing at them.

"Of course not," they both said simultaneously.

"I really am quite pleased, to be honest. You are both dear, dear friends, and you deserve to be happy. Cora will be over the moon when I tell her. We'll all have to go out to dinner soon," Robert said. "Now, Charles, about our discussion earlier. That's why I'm here. Your secretary told me you came this way and we need to discuss one of the blends we have on the vineyard list. Can you meet me in your office in five minutes?"

However, before Charles could respond, Elsie cut in. "Robert, before you go, we need to do something about the very Ms. Carroll," she said, looking at him sternly.

"What's that?" Robert asked, completely clueless.

"Fire her," Elsie said simply.

Robert raised his eyebrows, not understanding why Elsie would say such a thing. "Why?" He asked.

"Because it's either her or me. You saw how she was in the conference room today, and she's mucked a whole bunch of things up," she explained. "She definitely isn't Crawley Enterprises material," Elsie said with conviction.

Robert looked over at Charles and asked him, "Why didn't you say anything?"

Charles shrugged his shoulders. "I'm new. Didn't want you to think that I had a hard time working with people," he explained.

"That's preposterous!" Robert said. "I've known you since we were at uni, for God's sake. I trust you with my life. With my daughter's life! You're her Godfather, after all!"

"I know, I know," Charles replied. "Stupid, in hindsight, really. But she does have to go, Robert. She's simply awful," he said.

Robert nodded his head. "Done," he said. "I'll go and take care of that now while you, um, finish up with Elsie," he said, glancing over to her. "Meet you there in, say, ten minutes?" He asked.

"Done," Charles said, nodding his head, watching Robert walk out. He turned back to Elsie and smiled softly at her. "So?" He asked.

"So?" She replied, hitching her eyebrow up and biting her lip again. He walked over to her and reached up, pulling her lip gently from her teeth, leaning down to kiss it.

"You love me," Charles said, smiling down at her. Her face turned pink but she would not look away. She simply nodded her head in affirmation. He leaned down to kiss her again softly. "Can we promise each other something?" She stared into his eyes for a moment before nodding her head. "Honesty. Always," he said. "Let's always be honest with each other. If I'm too much, too overbearing, if you need space, please, just be honest and tell me. I don't want to mess this up, Elsie," he said.

"Me either," she replied, smiling. "And please, let's get you a better secretary, hm? One who won't misconstrue messages," She asked, giggling. He laughed along with her and nodded his head in agreement.

"I better go meet with Robert. Can I see you later?" He asked.

"You better," she replied. He leaned down to give her a final kiss, enjoying the sweet taste her lips offered. He put his arms around her and pulled her into his embrace, she doing the same and hugging him tightly to her. They stood there for a few moments, enjoying the warmth each other offered, before Charles kissed her on her forehead and walked towards the door.

Just as he was about to walk out, he turned to her with his eyebrow quirked up and said, "Oh, by the way, Charlie, huh?" He questioned, drawing attention to the endearment she used earlier, for the first time.

She smiled brightly and replied, "That one's mine," she said, pointing to herself "Only mine!" Charles nodded and burst out laughing as he walked away. He loved her spitfire nature. He simply, just, well, loved her.

* * *

 **A/N: I know what you're thinking, and I get it. How can they fall in love so quickly? Firstly, they made us wait so long in the actual series, that I'm all for the quicker the better in regards to Chelsie. However, it can happen in RL, and I have some pretty close people around me who it happened to, and they've been married for nearly fifty years. #relationshipgoals if ever there were some, honestly. So, yes, I'm a romantic, and yes, I believe in love at first sight/meet. Call me soft, crazy, hopeless, whatever. And when it comes to Chelsie, they're just meant to be together, so there.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Yikes! It has been a ridiculous amount of time and I am deeply sorry for that. I teach a college level course to my high school students and I have been preparing them for their exam recently, on top of teaching my other courses, and being mom to my own kiddos, so I haven't had a lot of time to write. It has been killing me knowing I haven't updated in a long time, and I am so sorry. Thank you to those who sent me gentle encouragement to get this chapter up. Hopefully the length will appease some of you. I know, being a reader of such awesome fanfic what it's like to wait and wait for the next chapter, so I included two in one here as a peace offering.**

 **Thank you so much to those who are still reading, commenting, and sending me messages. You are the best! I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please let me know what you think!**

* * *

Waking up on a regular morning, Elsie would stretch, take a moment to open her eyes, and then pop out of bed and start her day, facing it head on. Waking up now, today, as a woman in love, it was completely different. She'd rather just spend her day in bed, next to Charles, relishing the closeness that she felt with him. She couldn't explain it, because it was all new to her, but being able to open her eyes and see him lying next to her, soft smile on his face as he slept, was everything. She felt like a changed woman, really. She had never before thought her life was lacking in any way. She had her career, her sister, and a few close friends, and until now, that was enough for her. However, now, knowing how she felt about Charles, and how he felt about her, she felt fulfilled in so many ways she had never known she wasn't. She shook her head a little, thinking about all her fears, and realized at that moment that this was so much better.

She reached out and gently pushed the errant curl from his forehead, inching her way closer to him, laying her head on his chest and putting her arm around his middle. She placed a kiss over his heart and closed her eyes, completely content. She knew she had about another hour until she had to get up, and she was going to enjoy the closeness to Charles right now, just cuddling up together. She felt his left arm come around her and pull her tighter against him, and she drifted back to sleep, entirely fulfilled.

* * *

As Elsie sat at her kitchen table, going over her schedule for the day, Charles came in from the hallway and leaned down, kissing her on her cheek. "Hello, beautiful," he said, smiling and walking over to the counter to pour a cup of coffee in the mug Elsie left out for him. She smiled at him as he did so, thinking about how handsome he looked in his checked blue shirt and blue tie.

"Hello yourself," she said, smirking. Charles came and sat down next to her at the table. "I want to ask you something, but I want you to know that you can say no, no pressure," Elsie said.

"Okay…" Charles replied, waiting for what Elsie wanted to ask.

"I have a brunch meeting with Beryl this morning to go over the menus for the launch party, so I'm not going into the office just yet," she began. Charles nodded his head in understanding, waiting patiently for her question. "I was wondering if you would like to go with me, pending your schedule, of course?"

Charles would be lying if he said he wasn't surprised. What he was assuming, based on the way Elsie presented the question, was that Elsie was going to reveal to her closest friend that she and Charles were more than just colleagues. It thrilled him to think that Elsie was ready to make their relationship public and take the next step. There was only one answer to give. "Of course I would," he said, reaching out and taking her hand that was resting on the table. He brought it to his lips and kissed the back of it gently. "Am I correct in assuming that we are going to share our status with Beryl?" he asked, eyebrows raised in question. When Elsie nodded her head, Charles smiled widely. "I'd shout it off the rooftops, if you'd let me, you know?" he said, Elsie smiling back fondly.

"Not too fast," she said. "Most of my important people know, or will know after today," she said. "I just have to present the idea to Becky and arrange for you to meet her, and then once she gives the all clear, we can tell anyone you want, okay?" she asked and Charles nodded, squeezing her hand. "I plan on going by to see Becky after meeting with Beryl, and then maybe, after the chaos of the party is over tomorrow, we can arrange for you to meet her. Maybe Sunday?" She paused for a moment. Charles seemed a bit uneasy. "What is it?" she asked, leaning forward and squeezing his hand.

He paused a moment, figuring out how he was going to say what he wanted to say. "I'm not worried about Beryl. I know we'll get along splendidly based on the times I've been in there getting food, but I'm a little worried about Becky. What if she doesn't like me?" he asked.

Elsie stood up and stepped over to him. She gently sat on his knee and wove her hands into the hair at the nape of his neck, leaning forward to kiss him slowly and sweetly. She pulled back a little to look deeply into his eyes. "I promise you," she said, "once she realizes how happy you make me, and she sees your charming and charismatic personality, she will love you as much as I do." Elsie smiled when Charles smiled. "However," she said, placing her index finger upon his lips, "you may have to speak a little lower. Your big, booming, loud voice might scare her at first," she said, and Charles laughed heartily, Elsie joining in.

"I thought you liked my big, booming, loud voice?" he asked, almost in a whisper.

"Mmmmmm," Elsie said, kissing his cheek. "Charlie, I do. It sends shivers down my spine, actually," she said, kissing her way to his ear and taking his earlobe into her mouth, gently sucking on it, then leaning back. "However, you need to ease your way in tenderly with Becky, that's all."

Charles nodded his head and kissed Elsie on the lips. "Done," he said. "Now, what time is this meeting with Beryl? We begin interviews for my new secretary at 2:00."

* * *

"Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in!" They heard as they made their way to the hostess area. They couldn't see her yet, but Beryl spotted them as soon as they walked in.

"Where the hell are you?" Elsie asked. "You do have customers in here, you know, yelling like that!"

Just then, Beryl straightened up from behind the counter, blowing a wisp of her hair out of her eyes. "They can sod off if they don't like it!" She said. "I feel like I haven't seen you in ages, forgive me if I get a bit excited," she said, as she came around the counter, giving Elsie a kiss on the cheek and hugging her. "And Mr. Carson, lovely to see you, too. Did you have an order to pick up?"

Before he could reply, however, Elsie cut in. "No, actually, he's here with me for our meeting."

"Ah!" Beryl said. "Want to make sure we didn't muck up the wine and food pairings, do you?" she asked cheekily.

"Actually-" Charles started, but Elsie cut him off.

"I asked him to come," she said. "Wanted him to sit in on our meeting and go over a few things." At that, Beryl nodded her head and then yelled over her shoulder, "Daisy, make three of that order instead of two, will you love?"

"No problem, Mrs. Mason!" The trio heard from the back.

Elsie turned her head to Charles and said, "I never order. She always orders for me, and she has never been wrong." Charles nodded his head at Elsie.

"Alright, let's go have a seat and have a bit of a catch up before we get down to business, aye?" Beryl said. "Sorry, Mr. Carson, but you'll have to endure the cackling hen conversation for a little bit," she said, smirking.

Charles simply smiled and nodded. "Looking forward to it," he said as Elsie glanced back to him with a smile. They both followed Beryl to the table she had reserved and Charles first pulled out Beryl's chair and then Elsie's.

"A right gentleman, this one is," Beryl commented, gesturing back towards Charles. "Perhaps you should snatch him up, Els. You're about due for a good go round with a man, and a right gentleman is what you need!" she said, being the forward, cheeky woman she always was, not realizing how right she actually was.

Elsie's face turned a bright shade of magenta, and Charles cleared his throat, sitting down next to Elsie, avoiding eye contact with Beryl. "Oh, I see," Beryl said as quietly as Beryl ever could, shooting daggers at Elsie. "And when were you going to tell your best friend?" She asked. "Your best friend, mind, who shares everything with you, and vice versa, usually?" She implored forcefully.

Elsie cleared her throat. "Now," she said. "I'm telling you now. That's why I asked Charles along," Elsie said, looking lovingly at Charles. He reached over and grabbed her hand that was resting in her lap, and he squeezed it, showing her that they were in this together.

"Mm-hmm," Beryl said. "Well, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't happy," she began, "especially with the way the two of you idiots are looking at each other right now. You better not tell me this has been going on for months or else I'll consider us no longer friends," she said, looking pointedly at Elsie.

"It hasn't. Feels like we've known each other forever, though," Elsie said, looking at Beryl and then glancing over at Charles, smiling widely as she did so.

"Hmpf," Beryl said, picking up her water and taking a sip. "Alright then, out with it," she said.

Elsie began to tell Beryl the background, how they met accidentally at the conference but then realized they'd be working together. She was sure to save the intimate parts for only her and Charles, however.

After almost two hours, they had gone over the details of Charles and Elsie's very new romance, and they had discussed all of the pairings for the next evening, Charles just moving a few things around.

"Well, he sure knows his wine, I'll give him that," Beryl said, standing up.

Elsie laughed at that. "He certainly does," she replied, squeezing Charles' hand and looking at him lovingly. The trio walked to the front of the restaurant, Charles excusing himself to go get his car.

Once he was out the door, Elsie got a hard smack on her arm. "Seriously?!" Beryl said loudly. "I can't believe you didn't call me the instant you met him!"

Elsie rubbed her arm. "Ouch!" She said. "You really are vicious!" She giggled a little after she said it. "Well, I wasn't sure, to be honest. No, no," she said, seeing the look on Beryl's face, holding her hand up. "Not about him. About me," she said, pointing to herself. At Beryl's inquisitive look, she explained. "You know I'm no good at this stuff. I was worried, really worried. But," she said, looking fondly out the window as Charles pulled his car up and got out, "now I'm not," she said, smiling widely.

Beryl grabbed both of Elsie's hands and said, "I am so happy for you. Honestly, I am. I'm a little annoyed that you didn't come running to me right away, but I get it," she squeezed Elsie's hands. "And he's lovely, Elsie. Really, truly lovely. You deserve all the happiness in the world," she said, leaning in to hug her best friend, squeezing her tightly and letting go once Charles was next to them.

"And you," she said, pointing at Charles, "you hurt her, I hurt you!"

At first, Charles' eyes got big, but then he laughed lightly. "I'd expect nothing less," he said, leaning forward to hug Beryl, whispering in her ear, "and I won't. I promise." He kissed her on the cheek and then took Elsie's hand as they walked out.

* * *

"You sure you're okay? Tom is all set to pick you up?" Charles asked, looking over at Elsie after he pulled up to Becky's home.

Elsie nodded her head and reached over to put her hand upon Charles'. "Yes, thank you," she replied, squeezing his hand. "Tom will be here in about an hour and he'll drive me to the office." Charles nodded his head, feeling reassured that Elsie would be taken care of. He leaned over to kiss her softly on her lips. He could stay there forever, but Elsie ended the kiss, leaning back just a bit. "Please," she began, "make sure you choose someone who has the necessary skills to be your secretary and isn't just pleasing to the eyes," she said, looking into his eyes, a smirk on her face.

Charles looked at her very seriously. "I haven't even looked at another woman since you came into my life," he said seriously.

Elsie shook her head. "Oh, please," she said, turning her head and looking out the front windscreen, brushing off his comment, but he wasn't having it. Charles reached out and gently placed his hand on her cheek, pulling her face back so that he could look into her eyes.

"I am serious, Elsie. I'm not just saying that, to give you lip service. I don't care about anyone else. I love you, and only you," he said, imploring her to look into his eyes and see that he was speaking the truth. After a moment, Elsie nodded slightly, turning the sides of her mouth upward just slightly.

"And I love you," she replied, something she didn't think was possible, but knew was entirely true. She leaned forward and kissed him again. "I'll see you back at the office," she said as she opened the door. "Good luck with the interviews," she said, getting out of the car. He snickered as he watched her walk through the doors and then drove away.

* * *

After a delightful time with her sister, which consisted of her telling Becky about Charles and Becky being thoroughly intrigued and excited to meet him soon, Elsie made her way into her office. She stopped at Anna's desk to see how her assistant was.

"How are you, love?" she asked as she hung up her coat in the corner.

"Fine," Anna replied, "but I should really ask how you are?" Anna replied, raising her left eyebrow.

"I'll pretend I don't know exactly what you are insinuating and tell you that I need to pinch myself right now because everything seems perfect."

Anna contemplated that for a moment, then replied. "I don't know why you'd need to pinch yourself, Elsie. If anyone deserves to have things fall into place, it's you," she said sincerely.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Elsie replied, not one to take compliments very easily. "Now, tell me what we need to finish up for tomorrow. I think we have most everything in place; all the vendors are scheduled for delivery, the signs, advertising and description pamphlets are in. Hmmmm…" Elsie thought. "You are good for meeting me there around ten tomorrow, correct? First the florist, then the ballroom?" Elsie inquired. When Anna nodded her head, Elsie continued. "Good, good," she said, thinking. "I'm guessing we'll supervise set up and get everything in order and be able to rush back home by five to get ready and be here by six-thirty-ish to greet guests at seven. Does that sound about right?" she asked Anna.

"I think that sounds good," Anna said. "We have most everything in place already, it's just a matter of making sure it is all put together the way we've envisioned it, really."

"Quite right," Elsie replied. She put her thumb and forefinger to her chin for a moment, thinking. "I really think this is going to be a great success," she said, smiling.

Anna smiled right back and said, "I couldn't agree more."

* * *

Because Elsie had so much to do for the launch party, they had decided that they would spend the night apart, much to both of their displeasure. After having almost a week of falling asleep in Charlie's' arms, she had found that she had gotten used to sleeping with him and being embraced by him. The rhythm of his breathing lured her to sleep each night, and now, she tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable spot. Just as she was turning over again, she heard her phone beep, alerting her to a text message.

 _I hope you don't find me desperate by admitting that I miss you terribly and I'm having a hard time falling asleep without you next to me. -C x_

Elsie smiled as she read his note, immediately writing back to him.

 _I was just thinking the same thing. I miss you so much, and it costs me nothing to say it. -E xxx_

Elsie was leaning over to put her phone down again when it signaled another text.

 _I hope that when you do get to sleep, that you sleep well. Talk to you in the morning.-_ C xxx

 _You_ _too, love. Hopefully the gentle rocking of the water will lull you to sleep._ -Exxx

 _Not as much rocking as if you were here, but I suppose I'll have to settle for that tonight. -Cxxx_

Elsie's chin nearly hit her chest. She couldn't believe he wrote that, but she broke out into a fit of laughter that made her develop tears in her eyes. She was having a hard time composing herself enough to respond. As she thought about his comment, she remembered their time on his boat, and she was silently yearning for that again. As she was reminiscing about it, her phone beeped.

 _Too much? Too risqué? Sorry. I'm not usually so forward, but you make me feel things I never have before. I hope I've not offended you…_

Elsie finally composed herself enough to respond.

 _No, no...sorry. I was too busy laughing to respond. I can't wait for the next 'rocking' time on your boat, Mr. Carson. In the meantime, sweet dreams. I love you. -E xxx_

 _I love you too, darling. Good night. -C xxx_

* * *

Elsie woke with a start, in a panic, heart pounding. When she opened her eyes she realized that it was still dark out, and that she was just having a dream. In her dream she was being pulled away from Charles, by an unknown force, and she was reaching out for him, trying to fight against whatever was pulling her. As she began to scream his name, she woke up. Elsie did not like the way that made her feel, her breathing quick and her muscles tense. She decided to get up to get a glass of water to settle down. It was only four in the morning, and she could use a bit more sleep to face the busy day ahead of her.

Once settled back in bed, she again found it hard to fall asleep, the list of things she had to do running on repeat in her mind. It was taking forever to settle down again. Then her mind went to Charles, and she smiled softly. She imagined him holding her, putting his arms around her protectively. When she finally drifted off, she fell into a deep slumber, only to be awoken by the shrill ringing of her phone. She reached out, eyes still closed, grabbed it and said, "Hullo," in a raspy voice.

"Elsie!" Anna said. "Please tell me you are up and moving! We have to be at the florists by ten and then meet at the venue to make sure everything is going smoothly with all of the vendors," Anna explained.

Elsie finally opened her eyes and realized what time it was. 9:30. She couldn't believe she overslept. "Oh shit!" she said. "I couldn't sleep last night and I must have finally fallen asleep, only to sleep too soundly. Ugh. Don't worry, I'll meet you there by ten. Do you want to have John drop you off so we don't have two cars at the ballroom?"

"Sure," Anna said. "I called to ask you if you'd mind if I borrowed your sapphire necklace? I know it's a lot to ask, but it would match my dress perfectly."

Elsie didn't hesitate for a moment, as she got out of bed and made her way to the loo. She was going to have to put pedal to the metal if she was going to make it on time. "Of course, love, I'll bring it along. See you in a bit," she said, barely waiting to hear Anna's goodbye and jumping in the shower.

* * *

She knew Charles was a little put off that they weren't going to the event together, but she needed to be there early, assuring that everything was running smoothly. He, of course, understood, but Elsie realized that there was a lot about her job that Charles probably wasn't aware of. She locked that thought back in her mind for future reference, something to talk about at a later time.

She had arrived by 6:30 and was fully into the swing of last minute organizing and finishing touches. Just before seven, when all of the guests, representatives from other wine companies and high end restaurants, and local media celebrities were beginning to arrive, Anna came rushing over to Elsie, a panicked look on her face. Elsie tried to hold her composure and not get worried. "What is it?" she whispered.

"You have to come with me," Anna said, pulling Elsie lightly by the crook of her elbow. They made their way to the back of the ballroom where the doors to the kitchen were located and Anna pulled Elsie through them. Once secluded, Anna continued. "Beryl has an emergency. She went up to change out of her chef's whites and into her dress and she's encountered a problem. Something about her zipper being stuck. She is refusing anyone else's help and is insisting you come rescue her," Anna said. Elsie rolled her eyes and huffed just a bit.

"Of course this would happen right when it is go-time," Elsie said, shaking her head, not really that mad, knowing she owed Beryl her life at times. "Well, my dear," she put her hands on Anna's upper arms, "looks like you're on. Are you prepared to greet all the guests?" she asked, already knowing the answer. Anna nodded her head. "You know who everyone is, right? Studied the pictures, know the faces?" Elsie asked.

Again, Anna nodded with confidence. "I would expect nothing less. I have all the faith in the world in you," she said, pulling Anna to her and hugging her tightly. "Okay, what room is she in?" she asked, already turning towards the staff elevators.

* * *

"You know we'll be talking about this when we're old and gray, probably sitting next to each other in our wheelchairs at the care home, right?" Elsie asked, smirking and nudging Beryl with her elbow.

Beryl laughed heartily. "Yeah, and you better have some Scotch hidden somewhere while we're there, so we can have a little fun at least!" Beryl said.

"Oh, no doubt. We'll get kicked out before we even get comfortable, I'm sure of it," Elsie replied, looping her arm with Beryl's. In truth, it was an easy fix. Luckily there were some wax candles in the room and Elsie was able to rub one along the zipper and it came right up. It was only a matter of minutes that she was gone, but in truth, she wanted to hold back a little bit to give Anna the opportunity to shine. She knew she would, and she was happy to give her the chance. She certainly deserved it due to all the work she put in, and also because she was such a great friend to Elsie. "What do you say we enter like proper guests, see how Anna is doing greeting everyone?" Elsie asked.

"I think I'd rather like that," Beryl replied. "Sick of feeling like the help all the time, cooking for everyone and working like a dog," she laughed, Elsie knowing that it was Beryl's passion and she wouldn't give it up, not for one second. However, it might be nice to feel like a guest for a few short moments. They walked down the hall to the entrance, walking through the doors to the ballroom and joining the short queue of people who were waiting to descend the stairs. Elsie looked around, taking in the scene from a guest's perspective, and she had to admit, everything looked wonderful. The decorations, the setup of stations around the room that had a different nibbly-bit paired with a different Owen Mills wine, guests who had already arrived walking about or standing in groups chatting. The stage with the band set up, the string quartet on the side now playing. And then she looked down to the end of the stairs where Anna stood, talking enthusiastically to one of the owners of one of the finest restaurants in the city. Elsie looked at his smiling face, and he was clearly engaged, enjoying the conversation. "You did a right fine job, I'll tell you that much," Beryl commented, breaking Elsie out of her trance.

They had just gotten to the top of the stairs, and at that moment, Elsie noticed him. Standing near one of the stations, holding a glass of red, talking animatedly to one of the other guests, looking extremely handsome in his tuxedo. The feeling in the pit of her stomach when she saw him was nearly unexplainable. Elsie could feel herself flushing, realizing what this man did to her by just being in the same room. Add the tux and she was a goner. Completely overtaken by him. Just as she was about to look away, he looked up, almost as if he sensed her in the room, and he stopped completely. It was obvious that his companion noticed the change as he turned to look up the stairs, following Charles' line of vision.

"Well, that's me done for the night," Beryl said. "The way he's looking at you right now, as if you're some kind of prey, anybody will be lucky if they get one second with you, that's for sure," she smirked as she said it. "And you, you should be ashamed the way you're blushing," Beryl laughed.

Elsie snapped herself from her thoughts and turned towards Beryl. "Oh, please. Do I really need to remind you of your actions when you met Bill?" she asked. "Carousing around town like a right trollop, you were!" Elsie said.

Beryl laughed. "I could argue with you, but I know you're right. And as far as I can see, you'll be doing the same the way the two of you were just looking at each other. You'll be lucky if you make it out of here tonight before he takes you right up against that wall!" Beryl said, seriously.

"Beryl!" Elsie yelled, then looked around nervously, hoping no one else had heard their conversation.

"What?" Beryl asked as they made their way down the stairs behind the others. "That dress is stunning and your tits look immaculate. You could pass for twenty-five right now, beautiful as you are."

Elsie shook her head. "You know, I'd like to say thank you, but the way you say things, seriously!" She said. "We are supposed to be dignified tonight, you know?"

Beryl chuckled. "My apologies. I didn't know the queen was showing up. On my best behavior now," she said sarcastically.

Just at that moment, they arrived at Anna, who was smiling broadly at them. "And, how is it going," Elsie asked.

"Fantastically," Anna answered. "I've remembered to greet everyone by name and I've given them all the brochure with the wines and descriptions, and I've explained the layout of the evening." Elsie nodded her head and took her place next to Anna.

Beryl leaned in to give Anna a kiss on each cheek. "Wonderful job, love," she said. "I'm back to becoming one of the commoners, going to check on my servers and food. Chat later," she said, kissing Elsie also. As she walked away she paused and turned her head, yelling over her shoulder, "Oh, and thanks for your help, Els! I'd offer my assistance with your zipper later, but I think you'll have that covered," she said, turning back and walking away, laughing.

At that, Elsie's face turned a bright red as she looked at Anna. "That woman!" she said. Just as the words left her lips, she felt two hands on the sides of her hips and a warm breath next to her ear.

"Hello, gorgeous," she heard his deep, sultry voice whisper in her ear. She turned slightly, smiling widely and looking at Charles.

"Hello yourself," she said. "We are at work," she reminded him. "Both of us. This is a work function. We need to mingle, talk to clients, work the room, so to speak," she said, knowing for a fact that it was going to be extremely difficult to keep her hands off of him for the night.

He took her hand gently and pulled on it, taking her away from Anna and leading her into a side hallway that led to the washrooms. It was early in the night and there weren't any others around. He leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips.

"I'm sorry, but I had to do that. God you're gorgeous. Add that dress and I'm knocked down. Can't hardly breathe when I look at you." He looked deeply into her eyes as he said that. "I've missed you, Elsie," he whispered, pulling her into his body and holding her tightly to him.

"I know," she replied. "I've missed you, too, Charles." She let him hold her for a moment before moving back slightly. "But we're working right now," she said, ever the practical one.

"Please," he said, "just promise me that you'll dance with me tonight? Surely, that's allowed?" he asked, sincerely.

She looked into his eyes and knew she couldn't deny him. She nodded her head and said, "Of course." He pulled her back into his embrace for one more moment, kissing the top of her head. "Now," she said, "go out there and woo all of those clients with your wine knowledge, Mr. Carson, so that my work this week has been worthwhile." She smiled and tilted her head, encouraging him.

"Yes, Ms. Hughes," he replied, smirking, squeezing her hand as they turned to walk back to the ballroom. "You've done a marvelous job, by the way," he said, looking over to her. "This is incredible."

She turned and smiled back at him. She knew she was good at her job, but hearing him say it and commend her, made her feel as if she were almost invincible. "Thank you," she simply said, a huge smile on her face.

* * *

They were both incredibly busy. He discussing the various wines with the clients and, to be honest, wooing them with his wine knowledge and expertise. She, walking around making sure everything was as it should be and the organization of the night was going the way it was meant to. The only change she had to make was moving the speeches up a bit because Robert was enjoying his new product a little too much, and Cora had told her that he either needed to speak soon, or he had to be cut from the program entirely. Elsie knew the owner of the company had to say a few words, so she seamlessly moved things around a bit, and organized those who were giving speeches.

They were just ending, with Charles up on the stage, finishing his speech about the history of the vineyards and the goals that Crawley Enterprises now had in regards to Owen Mills and other vineyards. Elsie stood on the side of the stage, completely captivated by his voice and knowledge, and his ability to captivate an audience with the perfect combination of facts and humor, all mixed together in a perfect presentation delivered by the voice that sent shivers down her spine. At the end of his speech, she was not expecting what came next.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like you all to look to the left of the stage to Elsie Hughes. Without her and her lovely assistant, Anna, the launch of this product as a Crawley Enterprises acquisition and this fabulous evening to introduce it to all of you would not be happening. Please, if you would, raise your glasses of fine Owen Mills wine and let's give a toast to Elsie Hughes!" Charles said, raising his own glass. Elsie was blushing profusely at the attention. She was used to being in the background, her thanks from Robert usually in the form of a lovely bonus check. But of course, Charles would do such a thing. Darling man. Embarrassing man! She tilted her head toward him in acknowledgement, raising her own glass and mouthing 'Thank you,' before taking a large sip. "Okay, everyone, time for the music and dancing," Charles said, putting the mic back in its stand and exiting the stage towards Elsie.

She was shaking her head at him as he walked over to her. He didn't even give her the opportunity to say anything as the first notes of the music played. He took her glass and placed it along with his own on a side table. He then took her hand and led her to the dance floor, pulling her into his embrace, his right arm embracing her back and his left hand holding her right hand up.

His scent completely encompassed her, filling her senses and making her light on her feet. She had to shake herself out of her trance and focus on dancing with him, instead of making a fool out of herself in front of many of her colleagues and business acquaintances.

Once Charles had gotten them ready, he began leading her around the dance floor seamlessly, making it look as if they had danced together for years. That's what it felt like to Elsie. She felt so comfortable in his embrace, as if it was where she was meant to be. As she had that thought, he pulled her a little closer to him, making her look up into his eyes. She noticed a glint in them and he smirked a little.

"If I haven't told you yet, you look beautiful tonight," he whispered to her. "Absolutely stunning," he said, not breaking eye contact.

Elsie smiled. "You have, but I don't mind hearing it again," she said. "And you don't look half bad yourself," she said, smiling. She wanted to continue the conversation so her mind wouldn't be filled with images of him and what she was hoping he would do to her later. "How are the clients receiving the wine?" she asked. "Do they seem to enjoy it?"

He nodded his head as he danced her around. "I wish we were somewhere where we don't have to be professional," he began. "If we were, I'd have you as close as can be to me, kissing you senseless on the dance floor," he said seriously.

Elsie shook her head. "Charles!" she admonished. "You're avoiding the question and doing quite the opposite that I intended," she said, blushing. Charles laughed heartily at that.

"Well, I can't help the truth, my darling," Charles replied. After a moment he continued. "And yes, the clients seem to be quite enjoying the wine. Case in point over there," he nudged his hand to point behind them. "No, no, don't look now. I'll turn us around and you'll see for yourself." As he turned her around and she noticed a large group of individuals, Robert Crawley included, laughing and being louder than what would be deemed appropriate. Charles pulled her closer as the song was coming to an end, making sure his lips were close to her ear, enough that she could feel them ghosting over the shell her ear and feel his warm breath. "As for me, Ms. Hughes, I am not going to imbibe like them, or even close to it, as I want to be as clear-headed as possible tonight when I peel that beautiful dress off of your gorgeous body," he said as the song came to an end.

At that point, he stepped away from her, pulling her hand up to his lips and kissing the back of it lightly, saying, "Thank you, Ms. Hughes, for a wonderful dance." He then turned and walked off of the dance floor, leaving Elsie flushed and with her mouth wide open. It only took a second for her to snap out of it, to collect herself and walk the other way, as far away from Charles as possible. She knew that if she had to be anywhere near him at that moment, she would not be able to control herself.

* * *

The event had drawn to a close and the last of the guests were waiting on their chauffeurs to pick them up at the entrance of the hotel. Elsie was finalizing everything, discussing the clean up and return of materials with the manager. When she finished, finally assured that everything was taken care of, she took a deep breath and turned to make her way to the staff area to get her wrap and purse. However, as she turned, she saw a certain tall, handsome gentleman not only standing waiting for her, but also holding her wrap out with her purse dangling from his right hand.

"Oh, you are a darling," she said, walking towards him. "I'm not sure I could make it much farther in these heels," she said as she reached him, he draping her wrap over her shoulders and kissing her on the cheek. "We better see if there is a taxi left for us at the queue, else we'll have to call one," she said, smiling up at him, secretly dreading standing around waiting longer to get home and get out of her shoes.

As they turned to walk to the exit, Charles said, "No need. Tom is coming back after he drops Rob and Cora off to take us to yours, if that's okay?" He looked over at her questioningly.

"Of course it's okay! It's wonderful, really. Did you arrange for him to do that?" She asked as they got outside.

"I did," he simply said. "He'll be here in just a moment. Wait right here," he said. "I'll be right back." Before Elsie could reply, Charles had walked back inside quickly. Just then, the company limo pulled up and Tom got out.

"Well, look who we have here. A damsel in distress who needs saving?" Tom said as he got out and made his way to the passenger side.

"I'd hardly say that," Elsie replied. "It's so good of you to come back, Tom. I feel bad keeping you out this late."

"It's no trouble, really," Tom said. "Sybil is working the night shift, so I am going to head over there after I drop you off to have 'lunch' with her on her break." Just as he was saying that, Charles came back out, carrying two paper bags, one in each hand.

"A-ha, here we are," Charles said. "One for you," he handed one bag to Tom, "and one for us," he said, looking over at Elsie. She was a bit confused, and her face showed it.

"I know for a fact that you barely had time to eat anything, so I'm guessing you are starving. Your lovely friend Beryl packed these up for me," he explained, shrugging his shoulders.

Elsie simply smiled and shook her head, in her mind wondering if he could get any better. Right now she thought he was pretty darn perfect. Tom walked over to the car and opened the door for them. "Here we go," he said, ushering them into the car.

* * *

Once Tom dropped them at Elsie's, as soon as they walked through the door Elsie kicked her heels right off. "Oh, that feels so much better," she said, looking back at Charles as she payed her wrap and purse on the hall table. Just then, her phone beeped. "Oh no, I hope it isn't anything I forgot to do at the venue." She fished her phone out of her purse as Charles went into the kitchen to get the food sorted.

It was a text from Tom: Glad to finally see you happy! He's a good man. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!

Elsie shook her head, smiling. "Everything alright?" Charles asked.

"Yes," she replied, walking into the kitchen and leaning against the door frame, watching Charles as he made his way around the kitchen, very comfortably, she thought.

After he was finished getting everything set out, he turned to her and noticed her staring. He smirked. "What?" He asked.

Elsie smiled back at him. "Could you be any more perfect?" She asked, making her way towards him and placing her hands on his chest. "The toast, the dance, the ride, the food, you in that tux," she listed all of the things he did for her tonight.

He wrapped his arms around her lower back and pulled her closer. "I am far from perfect, I'll tell you that much," he replied. "But there is one thing I do know," he said.

"Oh?" Elsie asked. "And what is that?"

"That you are perfect for me," he said, leaning down to kiss her soundly on the lips. As their kiss deepened, Charles was the first to end in, much to the disdain of Elsie. "Not too much now," he said, and Elsie groaned. "You need to eat something. Need to get some energy," he said, pulling out her chair and winking at her. She simply shook her head and sat down, ready to tuck in because he was right...she was so busy all night that she barely had time to do anything, let alone eat.

* * *

Elsie couldn't wait to get out of her dress. She loved it. Knew she looked good in it, but she just wanted to be comfortable. Charles had taken his jacket off downstairs, but as they walked up to Elsie's bedroom, she turned half way up to look at him. He was a few steps lower and she loved being eye-to-eye with him. She put her arms around her neck and kissed him lightly. "Thank you for everything tonight," she whispered, pulling back to look him in the eyes, wanting him to see her sincerity.

He placed his hands on her hips and kissed her again. "I'd do anything for you, Elsie," he replied. She brushed her hands through his hair before kissing him again. "Well, in that case," she began, "would you be a dear and make sure the door is locked?" She asked. Charles laughed and gave her a peck on her nose, turning and walking back down to do her bidding.

When he walked into her room, she stood in front of the bureau, taking her earrings out and placing them in her jewelry box. He slowly walked over to her and gently moved her hair to the side, leaning down to kiss her neck softly. As he did so, Elsie moaned, the sound of it spurring Charles on, he kissing down her neck further and reaching up to find her zipper. "As beautiful as you look in this dress," he said, "all I could think about tonight was getting you out of it." Elsie smiled as she felt him pull the zipper, feeling his lips ghost down her back. She got a shiver down her spine, loving the way his lips felt against her skin. When the zipper was down, he stood back up and pulled the dress from her shoulders, watching it fall down and gather at her feet. He gently pushed on her shoulders to turn her around.

He looked at her from top to bottom, smiling sweetly as he did so. "God, you're gorgeous," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. When he looked down at the lower part of her body, she noticed him getting red and flushed.

"What is it?" She asked, a bit worried. He simply shook his head.

"You, in that garter belt and stockings has got to be damn near the sexiest thing I have ever seen," he said, not able to take his eyes from the subject at hand.

Elsie smiled at his comment. She stepped closer to him and began to pull on his bow tie. "You are the sexiest man I have ever seen, Charles Carson, but I much prefer you naked," she said, pulling his bow tie from his shirt and dropping it at their feet. She then made quick work of his shirt buttons and cufflinks, careful to place them atop her bureau. She freed him of his shirt and then worked on his pants, he simultaneously working to unhook her bra. There they stood, facing each other in nothing but their knickers. Elsie was the first to break out of the trance, taking the waistband of his shorts and pulling them down, stepping closer and placing her hands on his chest, running her fingers through his chest hair. She loved touching it, thinking that there was nothing more manly than it. Charles put his arms around her back and pulled her to him, kissing her deeply, leaving her with no question at all whether he wanted her.

"Elsie," he whispered against her lips.

"Hmmmm?" She responded.

"I wanted this to go slow tonight, and I will try my best, but seeing you like that makes me want to ravish you completely right now," he said, kissing her again. When they both couldn't breathe and had to break for air, Elsie responded.

"You can ravish me any way you like, Charlie. I'm yours, and yours only, however you want me," she said, looking almost shyly into his eyes.

Charles wasted no time. "In that case," he said, surprising Elsie by lifting her up and carrying her to the bed. He began by kissing up her leg and unhooking her stockings and unrolling them, then he pulled her knickers and garter off.

What followed was a session full of lovemaking that left no questions from either participant as to how much the other was devoted to pleasing them. There was give and take, passionate kisses, touching, and pleasure that emanated from both of them. When they were both completely sated and close to sleep, they were laying in Elsie's bed, her head upon his chest and her arms wrapped around her.

"I don't know how I have lived without this, without you, for so long," Elsie said, tilting her head to look at Charles. He was nearing sleep, but hearing her words made him open his eyes.

He smiled down at her. "I know," he said, leaning down and kissing her forehead. "And now I know that I never want to live without it, without you, ever again," he said. Elsie rose up on her elbow and kissed him softly on his lips.

"I love you Charlie," she said, smirking as she made herself comfortable in his arms again.

"And I love you," he said. He thought for a moment. "And what nick name shall I give you, since you so adamantly insist on calling me Charlie?"

"Hmmmm…"Elsie thought for a moment. "I don't know. Becky calls me Essie, but that's her name for me," she paused for a moment. "Guess you'll have to come up with something on your own, buster," she said. Charles pinched her on her side after she said it. "Och! Charles Carson!" She yelled, looking back up to the man who was now laughing. "You'll pay for that!" She said. "Just not now because I'm too tired." He laughed again and she giggled. "We need to get some rest. Becky is expecting us around eleven. And we must bring muffins. She'll skin me alive if I don't bring her Beryl's muffins on a Sunday," she said, settling back in. Elsie heard Charles take a deep breath and looked back up at him, noticing his nervousness. "Don't worry," she said. "She will love you as much as I do, I know it," she paused for a moment. "And if not, I'll chuck you out on your arse," she said, laughing, completely unprepared for the onslaught of tickling that Charles gave her.

It got to the point where she was flipped on her back, Charles leaning over her. "Okay, okay!" She yelled. "I give in. I give up!" Charles stopped tickling her and placed his arms at her sides, looking deeply into her eyes.

"Elsie," he said, imploring her, a nervous, worried look in his eyes.

She reached up and pushed his errant curl to the side, brushing his lips with her thumb. "Don't worry, Charles, she will love you. I know it. I wouldn't be introducing you so soon if I didn't think so." She looked deeply into his eyes so he could see her sincerity. He nodded his head briefly and leaned down to kiss her. "I love you, Charles," she said, hugging him to her.

"I love you too," he responded, lying down next to her and gathering her in his arms. He felt better about meeting Becky with Elsie's assurances, and he fell asleep thinking about the day ahead. That, and trying to come up with a nickname for Elsie.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Hi everyone. Please, please, please forgive me for not updating this story in such a long time. If you are on Tumblr, then you know that my dad passed away and it has been quite difficult dealing with that and keeping things straight in RL as far as helping my mom and my family deal with such a tough thing. Many of you have reached out and sent some very kind words. I can't tell you how much they mean to me! Thank you to those of you who did. Thank you also to those who gave a gentle nudge to continue this story. I love the Chelsie fandom so much. I have begun reading many of the stories again and honestly, they keep me going. Now that I am back into the flow of things and I'm writing again, I will be sure to start reviewing as well. Thanks to everyone for your patience. Hopefully this chapter doesn't disappoint. I will try my best to have regular updates from this point on. Please let me know what you think. Happy New Year to all!**_

"Don't be worried," Elsie said, reaching over and placing her hand on his knee. He took his left hand off the steering wheel and placed it on top of hers, giving it a small squeeze and smiling a bit.

"I'm not," he replied, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Charles Carson, you are a horrible liar," she said, shaking her head. After a moment, she decided to placate him, knowing that this was a big deal. "Honestly, you have nothing to worry about. However, you can carry the muffins in. If she sees you bringing them, she'll know you know Beryl, and one of the ways to Becky's heart is through Beryl's food. So there you go," she said matter-of-factly. Charles just nodded his head a bit as he pulled the car into the parking lot. When he turned it off, he looked over to the beautiful woman sitting in the passenger seat and smiled, leaning over to give her a brief kiss on the lips.

"Okay," he said, "Let's do this."

They walked hand-in-hand down the corridor towards Becky's suite section of the home. As they walked, Elsie said hello to those who passed them. When they turned the corner to enter Becky's suite, they almost bumped into Dr. Clarkson. "Dr. Clarkson, hello," Elsie said, reaching out to shake his hand.

"Ms. Hughes, good to see you," he said, looking between her and Charles.

"And you, Dr. Clarkson," Elsie replied. "It's Elsie, please. May I introduce Charles Carson, my...," and Elsie hesitated. She had yet to introduce him with a title to anyone. In her mind the word boyfriend seemed so juvenile. She thought quickly...partner? Companion? Lover? All too blah, mundane, or inappropriate, she thought. "Significant other," she said quickly, not liking the sound of that either.

Charles immediately reached out and shook Dr. Clarkson's hand, saying, "Haha! Great to see you again, Rich! It's been, what, almost ten years, at least?"

Dr. Clarkson shook Charles' hand enthusiastically, placing his other hand on his shoulder. "Indeed, it has, my good fellow. Can't seem to get away for alumni weekend the past few years. I am going this year, though. I already sent my paperwork in. Please tell me you are? We can't have the younger alumni beating us on the cricket pitch and lord knows we need you to solidify a win," he said, shaking his head. "And Robert, will he be attending?" Dr. Clarkson asked excitedly. Elsie just stood back shaking her head at the interaction going on in front of her, awed at the ability of two people, who apparently knew each other but hadn't seen each other in quite some time, could pick up and act as if a great amount of time hadn't passed since they saw each other.

"Yes, yes," Charles responded. "We will both be there, in our best whites and ready to play. It's in, what, three weeks time, I think?" Charles asked. Dr. Clarkson simply nodded his head. "Excellent," Charles said. "It'll be great to have you back!"

"It'll be good to be back," Dr. Clarkson said. He then looked over to Elsie, who was still standing aside, watching their interaction. "Elsie, you have an excellent gentleman right here. One of the best cricket players to ever come out of uni, he is!" Dr. Clarkson said excitedly.

"Is that right?" Elsie asked, looking over at Charles, with admiration, awe, and a little bit of annoyance that she was just learning this information. Charles simply smiled sheepishly.

Dr. Clarkson then piped up. "Are you kidding me?" he said, looking between Elsie and Charles. "She doesn't know?" he asked. Charles merely shook his head. Clarkson looked between both of them. "Well, I won't be the one to tell her, Charles, but be sure you do," he said. "Let's just say he still holds most of the records at uni for the cricket," Dr. Clarkson said. Elsie looked over at Charles, her eyebrows raised on her forehead, both in awe and question. "Well, I must get on, but Elsie, can you stop into my office before you leave? I have Becky's latest bloodwork and I just want to go over it with you," he said as he made to walk away.

"I will," she replied as he was walking backwards down the corridor.

"Great seeing you, Charles!" he said. "See you in a few weeks, then!"

"That you will," Charles said, laughing a bit as he turned back to Elsie, noticing her look of disdain on her face. "What?" he asked innocently.

"How come you never told me you played cricket? And not only do you play, but you're quite good?"

Charles simply shrugged his shoulders. "It never came up," he responded.

"Hmpf," Elsie replied. "I guess we have a lot to learn about each other," she said, which both excited her and frustrated her at the same time. She felt as if she'd known Charles forever. They were seamless, almost, in the way it felt like they fit together, both physically and personally. However, this instance made her realize that they still had a lot to learn about each other.

Charles could sense her melancholy at the situation, so he put his arm around her and pulled her close, kissing her forehead. "It's just details, my darling," he said. "The most important part is we know we fit. The rest is just details and the best part about it is we have a lifetime to learn about all of them." Elsie smiled softly at that commend, tipping her head up and kissing Charles' lips soundly and smiling.

"Okay then," she said, "are you ready to meet my biggest, most important detail?" she asked him.

"I can't wait," he said, taking her proffered hand and following her into Becky's suite.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When they walked into the shared common room, Elsie noticed Becky sitting at a table by the window, reading a book. She didn't notice them when they walked in and only lifter her head when Elsie started walking towards her. Charles was a few steps behind and he saw the look on Becky's face as she lifted her eyes and noticed her sister. The brightness and excitement that filled her eyes at that moment was something beautiful to witness, Charles thought.

"Essie!" Becky yelled, putting her book down and spreading her arms to hug Elsie as she got close. Elsie bent down to embrace her sister, squeezing her tightly.

"Hello, love," Elsie said, kissing her sister on the forehead and standing back up. She took Becky's left hand in hers and turned to see Charles standing back a few feet with the muffin box in hand. He had the most adorable smile on his face as he was looking at them. "Becky," Elsie said, looking back to her sister, "I'd like you to meet Charles Carson, my…" and there she was stuck again.

But it didn't matter, Becky filled in for her. "Your boyfriend," she said, smiling shyly. Elsie rolled her eyes a little. At that, Charles stepped forward, reaching his right hand out and taking Becky's right hand, shaking it delicately.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Becky," Charles said in a low tone. Elsie had to giggle a little at his effort not to speak so loudly and robustly. Becky nodded her head and looked at the box in Charles' left hand, her eyebrows going up in a questioning manner on her forehead. Charles chuckled at that, thinking that she looked just like Elsie when she did that. "We brought muffins," Charles said, lifting the box a little in indication.

"Not just any muffins," Becky responded. "Beryl's muffins!" she said, excitedly.

"Yes," Charles replied, "There are no other muffins that could be had after one has Beryl's muffins," he said, making his way around the table and sitting next to Becky. Elsie stood watching him, noting how easily he was settling in. He looked up at her and silently questioned whether or not she was going to sit down too. She briefly nodded and took the seat on the other side of her sister. "Now, Beryl tells me your favorites are the pistachio and the double chocolate," Charles said. "I, for one, favor the pistachio, so we brought a few of those. Which would you like to start with?" he asked, taking some napkins out of the bag and then opening the box.

Becky thought for a moment and then said, "Pistachio, I think."

"Ah, a fine choice. I think I'll join you in that endeavor." He took out two pistachio muffins, placing one on a napkin in front of Becky and the other down in front of himself. He then reached into the box and took out another muffin, placing it on a napkin in front of Elsie. "For you, my darling, cranberry almond," he said, smiling at Elsie.

She nodded her head in thanks and then looked at her sister, who was looking between them and smiling. "Shall we?" Elsie asked.

"We shall," Becky said, reaching for her muffin and trying to take the paper wrap from the bottom. Elsie was working on her own and didn't realize right away that Becky was having some difficulty. However, before she could set her own muffin down, Charles had already reached over and begun helping Becky.

"So," he said, "What were you reading when we walked in?" Becky smiled in thanks when he had gotten the wrapper off and took a bite before answering.

"Mmmmmm," she said. "So good. Tell Beryl I say thanks!"

"You can tell her yourself," Elsie said. "She is coming in later this week, she said."

Becky nodded and then turned to Charles. " _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,"_ she replied. Charles nodded. "It's my second time reading the series," Becky said. "I love the books. And the movies," she said, a sparkle in her eye. "Have you read the books, Charles?" she asked.

"As a matter of fact, I have," he responded, looking over to Elsie and seeing the look on her face. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said, shaking her head. "I just never pictured you as being one who was into Harry Potter."

Charles huffed back, acting affronted. "And why not? Those books have become part of our national identity. It would be ridiculous not to have read them," he responded.

Becky laughed at that, looking between Charles and Elsie. "I had to beg Elsie to read them," she told Charles.

Elsie looked shocked. "You did not!" Elsie responded. "I was just busy at work. I didn't have time."

Becky just shook her head. "Excuses," she said. "You just didn't think you'd like them. Not your usual style of reading. But," she said, looking directly at Charles, "little sister knew best in this instance, and she loved them, didn't you Essie?"

Elsie laughed a little. "I did indeed," she said. "You were, in fact, right this time," she said, smiling at Becky and then looking over to Charles. "We had a movie marathon once I had finished and we watched a movie every time I came to visit."

"We should do it again!" Becky said excitedly. "You could join us, Charles!" she said, looking at him. "Have you seen the movies?" she asked.

Charles shook his head. "Only the first few," he responded. "I'd love to watch them, though," he said, taking the last bite of his muffin.

"It's a date, then!" Becky said excitedly.

After they talked for a while, Becky telling Elsie about her occupational therapy sessions for the week to help with her joint pain, Elsie said, "Do you mind if I run down to talk to Dr. Clarkson? He wanted to go over your latest bloodwork with me." Becky looked between Elsie and Charles.

"I can stay and keep you company," he offered. At that, Becky nodded at Elsie, telling her it was okay to go.

"Be back in just a little bit," Elsie said, standing. "Perhaps I'll get Dr. Clarkson to fess up and tell me some of your cricket stories," Elsie said, leaning down and kissing Charles briefly and then squeezing Becky's shoulder. She walked towards the door, looking back at two of the most beloved people to her and feeling a sense of calm, loving the way that Charles fit in with her life seamlessly, and enjoying the animated and excited way in which Becky interacted with him. She had a huge smile on her face as she walked down the corridor.

After about twenty minutes, and learning that Becky was doing well, aside from some elevations in her blood work indicating arthritis, Elsie made her way back to the common room. What she saw was something completely unexpected. There were other people in the room when she left, but they were all doing their own thing, spread out amongst the space. However, when she came back into the room, they were all crowded around the table where Charles and Becky sat. She walked in quietly, hoping to go undetected so that she could figure out what was going on.

When she got closer, she say Becky with her hand in a fist, held out as far as she could reach it. Charles then reached toward Becky's fist, taking his thumb and pointer finger and reaching to pull something out of her fist. Out of it came a read cloth. As Charles pulled, the red cloth turned into a blue one, and then purple, then orange, yellow, green and pink. The people around were collectively saying "Oooooh" and "Ahhhh." One observer yelled, "how did you do that?"

Charles just chuckled, smiling at Becky and said, "Magic!" Elsie noticed that Becky not only had a huge smile on her face, but she also had a look of pride as well. She was clearly enjoying the fact that this gentle giant magician was here as her guest. Just as Elsie was appreciating the joy on her sister's face, someone yelled, "Another, another!"

Charles chuckled and said, "Okay, one more." He reached in his pocket and took out a foam blue ball. He handed it to Becky, ensuring that he held onto it until her bent fingers had a tight grip on it. Then he asked, "Okay, assistant Becky, how many balls do you have in your hand?"

Becky held the ball up, looking at it closely and then said, "One."

"Are you sure?" Charles asked. Becky took the ball and switched it the the other hand, making sure there was only one. She then nodded. "Okay," Charles said, taking the ball back. He then gently placed it in Becky's palm and closed her fingers very delicately around it. "Hold that tight," he said. Becky nodded, looking at him in awe. Charles then took his index finger and tapped it lightly on Becky's fist. "What should our magic word be?" he asked.

One person yelled "Hocus Pocus!" Another yelled, "Ala-kazam!" Charles looked at Becky, silently asking her for their magic word. "Abracadabra!" she whispered.

"Okay, the assistant has spoken," Charles said to the audience. "Abracadabra!" he said, tapping Becky's fist again. After a moment, he gently turned her fist and asked her to open it. Out rolled not one, but two foam balls. Again, there were collective "ooohs and ahhhs" from the observers. "Hold on," Charles said, gathering the balls and placing them back in Becky's hand. "I thought you said there was only one Becky?"

Becky laughed immediately. "There was, Charlie! There was only one!" At the use of the nickname Elsie had for him, Charles raised his eyebrows and looked at the audience, immediately locking eyes with his beautiful woman. The twinkle in her eyes was radiant. He smirked at her and tilted his head.

"Let's try that again," he announced, looking back at Becky and closing her fist around the two balls. He held his own giant hand around hers and said, "Okay, you say it this time."

As he tapped her fist with his index finger, Becky said, "Abracadabra!" Charles then helped her open her fist and out came four blue foam balls. Again the people in the room were in awe and there was a lot of murmuring. Becky's face was lit up with the biggest smile Elsie had ever seen. She decided at that point it would be a good time to walk over to the stars of the show. "Essie!" Becky yelled. "Did you see that?" she asked. Elsie just shook her head. "Charles knows magic!" Becky said excitedly. "Did you know he knew magic?" she asked.

Elsie shook her head again and looked at Charles. "More details," she said to him pointedly.

He looked deeply into her eyes and replied, "But a perfect fit."

They would up staying for almost an hour longer, discussing when they could come again to watch a _Harry Potter_ movie and Elsie went over what Dr. Clarkson had shared with her. Becky had to start a new medicine and Elsie explained that to her also. After shared hugs and Elsie and Charles wheeling Becky back to her room and settling her in, they were walking out of the home hand in hand. When they got to Charles' car, Elsie turned to Charles and put her hands on his chest.

"You're wonderful," she said, standing up on her tiptoes to kiss him. He wrapped his hands around the small of her back and leaned down into the kiss, pulling her close to him as he did so.

"You're pretty wonderful yourself," he said as the kiss ended.

"No," Elsie said. "I really mean it. You were wonderful with her Charles. She was so comfortable with you from the get-go, and you acted as if you had known her for ages, helping her with her muffin and talking Harry Potter. And then the magic. Where the heck did the magic come from?" she asked, looking deeply into his eyes. "I better not find out that you are some crazy lunatic or something because right now you seem too good to be true. I think you should pinch me right now," she said.

At that comment, Charles moved his hand down to Elsie's bottom and pinched it a little. "Och! Charlie!" she yelled.

"What?" Charles asked, with a feigned innocent look on his face. "You said I should pinch you. I was only fulfilling your request," he said laughing. Elsie smacked him on the chest.

"Okay, maybe you're not too good to be true with behavior like that," she said, laughing as she turned and opened her car door. Just before she was going to get in, Charles took her hand and pulled her to him again, kissing her once more.

"I am crazy, Els, but just crazy in love...with you," he said, kissing her again.

"Flatterer," Elsie said, smiling at him with a look of adoration, pecking him one last time on the lips.

She got into the passenger seat and Charles shut her door, making his way to the driver's seat and getting into the car. Once he was in, he had to ask her, "So," he began, "What's with Becky calling me Charlie now, too?" At that, Elsie burst out laughing. He looked at her inquisitively, waiting for an explanation.

"I may have slipped and called you Charlie once or twice when talking to her about you. Looks like it stuck and she got it in her head," she explained. "Sorry!"

Charles shook his head. "Well, as long as it is only the Hughes ladies doing so, I can live with it. Now, if anyone at work starts with that, then you're in trouble," he said, smiling as he started the car. He felt Elsie looking at him, her eyes burning into him. "What is it, Els?" he asked.

"First of all, it seems as if you have found your nickname for me, hmmm?" she asked. He looked at her questioningly. "That's the second time you have called me Els," she explained.

"It wasn't intentional, to be honest," Charles replied. "It just came out that way," he said.

Elsie reached her hand over and squeezed his left knee a bit. "I kind of like it," she admitted. "Now, secondly, Charles Carson. With the way you were with my sister and how much she loved you, and after finding out you are not only a cricket star but a magician as well, I think you need to take me home so that I can show you exactly how much I am appreciating these details that I am learning about you." Charles looked over at her with wide eyes, his cheeks burning. "Now," Elsie said.

Charles proceeded to start the car. "Bossy," he said as he backed out of the parking lot.

"You better believe it," Elsie said. "Just wait and I'll show you just how bossy I can be!" she laughed. At that comment, Charles pushed his foot down on the accelerator a little harder.


End file.
